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This is my 6th year as a Crafty Bastard. To say the most hugest amazing indie craft fair has changed my life is a little over-dramatic. But it is kinda true. It has kept me making, kept me thinking about being creative, kept me interested in a world where people use their hands to create new things. With only 4 more days until the big show, I was wondering what my preview was going to look like. So I grabbed some of my new stuffs and took the family outside to get some photos. Here's a preview of my newest offerings. All of these will be available in my online shop next week and these plus much much more will be ready in time for holiday shopping.
Jeff models the first full scale Tina Seamonster shirt.
All the kids are eating unicorns these days! Let's tell them to stop! Rachel and Anya are really serious about this! And the ink on Rachel's face is her own doing. She was trying to tattoo herself! These are gocco printed and limited to kids sizes.
Awesome amazing duct tape wallets made my Lisa Seamonster. This first one is about how zombies are crap at knitting. There are about 5 other designs.
New book marks!
And the new anti-holiday card pits zombies vs. a defenseless Baby Jesus! (And please don't tell me I am going to hell. These are meant to be funny and not mean. Note how Baby J remains unharmed!)
I have to say that when Jeff got sick last year, I thought there was no way I would ever make anything again. But here I am, nearly ready for Crafty. Hoping it translates into more making in my future!
Crafty Bastards is Saturday, October 3rd (rain or shine!) in Adams Morgan from 10 to 5 at the Marie Reed Learning Center. I am on the tennis courts this year! Check out http://www.craftybastards.com for more information!
As Jeff has been getting himself turned into a cyborg by having his ICD installed (more on this soon), I have been working hard on two projects. One is getting both girls into a good public school. So far, I have one registered and the other on the waiting list. Can you believe that?
But I have also been working on another fun project with Hello Craft. It is a weekend of fun craftiness for people who currently do or what to at some point turn their making into a business. It is the Summit of Awesome and will take place in Washington, DC on May 1-3. We just announced the cool line up of speakers and it includes Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching and Maria Thomas, CEO of Etsy.com, plus like 30 others! I will also be speaking on the topic of Social Networking.
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My final show of the year will be at the Black Cat this Sunday night, 8 to midnight. I will be having a $10 shirt sale in an attempt to rid my apartment of all of my stock! Seriously, I want to take nothing home! I have decided to not Gocco print shirts in 2009 and am hoping I can keep this promise to myself!
So, please come and say hi and get some last minute awesome gifts at the Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW WDC 20009) Rock n Shop this Sunday night! http://www.blackcatdc.com
This is what I have been working on. It should be really fun. Do come out and bring your friends!
3rd Annual Holiday Booty Market
Saturday, December 6, 2008 -- 12-6pm
Hilda's Giftshop in the National City Christian Church
5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC
This event is sponsored by DEKKA, Miss Pixies, and Chipotle.
The Craft Mutiny Collective presents its 3rd annual Holiday Booty Market! This super fun event will be your chance to find that perfectly unique handmade gift before the holidays. Come and check out our indie craft event in the heart of Washington, D.C. Admission is free. Music and snacks provided! All you have to bring is your shopping list!!!
Vendors
Twenty rad vendors from the Washington, D.C. area display their handmade goodies.
Tigerflight
I draw, sew, and try to make something every day. I use my chronic doodling and collection of toys and pictures out of magazines and newspapers as inspiration. I am as equally influenced by graffiti in Paris and Philly as I am by artists like Chris Ware and Charles Burns. Tigerflight's Pirate Yeti is our show mascot!
El Jefe Design
El Jefe Design creates hand crafted art prints and concert posters for a variety of local and national acts including The Decemberists, Foo Fighters, Wilco, and The Raveonettes. Each poster is hand screen printed on recycled paper and done in limited editions.
De*nada Design
De*nada Design is a design boutique specializing in knits, bags and graphic tees that are comtemporary, fun and energetic.
60 Bugs
If you are a rad kid in D.C., it is likely that you are wearing something by 60 bugs. Debbie of 60 bugs loves the 80s, music, pop culture and DIYing, and likes to incorporate these themes into her embroidery and gocco printing.
Tina Seamonster
Tina Seamonster silk screens shirts and cards in small batches at her kitchen table with a Print Gocco. She is inspired by her life as an urban mom of twins in DC. Check out her new Grumpy Gnome line of cards and ornaments!
Dekka
DEKKA is a Fashion, Art, and Music Showroom/Retail Store in the hear of DC's most exciting are, the U Street corridor. We feature over 30 local and international designers and artists, as well as offer the latest underground music at our listening station. We thank DEKKA for being both a vendor and a sponsor of this event!
this chickadee
this chickadee is on a mission to create all sorts of magical things for you and your home. Aprons, totes, and table decorations are one-of-a-kind creations, stitched with love. The aim of this chickadee is to provide an alternative to mass-produced items and to inspire, educate and brighten.
bLuGrn design
My craft ranges from jewelry to paper goods and now baby onsies. My jewelry and paper goods consist of nature silhouettes, braille and the shark teeth i find on the chesapeak bay. My baby onsies (as well as some of my jewelry) was born from my new little mooshy gooshy boston pup, El guapo.
Pile of Craft
Pile of Craft turns colorful, bumpy, fuzzy handspun yarn into scarves,
hats, and handbags. She also creates unique and useful decorative items
out of custom-mixed polymer clay. She creates fuzzy tree cards and
other happy stationery sets, too!
Charming Vices
Charming Vices offers kitschy jewelry and accessories for guys and gals. I am compelled to recycle objects that need new lives into one of a kind creations.
Kristina Bilonick
My designs are derived from childhood memories, pop culture and a general nostalgia for the 70s and 80s. Hand printed on a mix of new and vintage apparel,kb designs add pizzaz to the dullest of wardrobes. Check out the accompanying line of glass accessories to complete the look!
8th Street Soap Kitchen
8th Street Soap Kitchen soaps are handcrafted with quality natural ingredients. Painstakingly made from scratch in small batches, these soaps lather richly, are naturally colored and carefully scented, and clean delightfully.
block party press
As with many artists, I have been drawing and making things for as long as I can remember. Sometimes my brain overflows with more ideas than my hands and my wallet can keep up with. I love texture, patterns, contrast, color (especially red, white & black and any pastel color paired with chocolate brown).
Kitten Rocks Well
Kitten Rocks Well features handmade nicnaks and stationary sets. Many of the sets are made using upcycled book and old magazine pages.
 latebloom
one-of-a-kind bags handmade with vintage/weird fabrics, screenprinted designs, reworked fashion finds, and various other inspirations.
Booklish Lady
Bookish Lady makes blank journals by hand, folding and stitching or gluing each page of every journal herself. She also tracks down antique letterpress blocks (or designs her own) and uses them to print the kind of cards she likes to send to her pals.
Fisticuffs Leather
100% recycled leather and found object cuffs and watchbands...soon to have dog collars too!
Daisy Lacy
Info coming soon.
Folktale Fibers
I am a full-time spinster who carefully sources local, animal-friendly, and sustainable fibers and spins them into whimsical but practical skeins. I sell handspun yarn, handdyed and handcarded fiber, felted baubles/beads, and handknit accessories.
>>>For more handmade gift ideas, check out my post on Hello Craft.<<<
I went to NPR today to record a segment for Weekend Edition Sunday with Liane Hansen.
I was really afraid because the focus of the piece was making holiday gifts and I quickly realized that while I am well versed in the world of indie craft, I am more interested in the business of craft. I so heart buying and marketing and building an indie business more than the actual making, which made me kinda laugh.
But I got through it. Beth (Tigerflight) was nice enough to meet my on the corner in Columbia Height with a bag of her owls, some vintage buttons (thanks to Cori for the buttons, too!) and some thread, all things that I needed for my video and audio taping. I even asked her to explain felting to me as my cab pulled away. This all made me realize that I don't spend enough time actually making. Dabbling, really. I make lots of stuff, especially right now with the demand for ornaments in which zombies attack santa pretty high, but I don't dabble. When I get more time, I need to do this so that next time I am asked to craft on video, my hands don't shake.
There was this moment, sitting there in the darkened studio when the host did her outro: "I'm Liane Hansen and we've been talking to Tina Seamonster. Tina is a crafter, a podcaster and a blogger." Hearing myself in these terms by this stranger with a familiar voice was completely startling. I know that I am and do all of those things. But in that one instant, it felt completely for real, important. I thought, heavens, I am who I want to be when I grow up. I might not really get paid for it, but I am here and I am me and this matters. And I thought of that line in the song "My Rollercoster" by Kimya Dawson where she sings, "And my mom would say, I hope someday you get paid for being Kimya Dawson" And for that one instant I felt how it must feel to be paid to be Tina Seamonster. Someday I hope you get paid to be who you are. It will likely be the most important thing that could happen to you.
All of that said, I should be on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday this Sunday (11/23). You can find out what time via your local NPR Station as each station plays the show at a different time. Locally in DC, WAMU plays it from 8 to 10. I will also be doing a live chat online at either 1 or 1:30 EST at http://www.npr.org/gifts. You will have to register to chat. You can also upload photos of your projects to their holiday community page while you are in there. Please stop by and ask me a nice or funny question.
Mark your calendars!
3rd Annual Holiday Booty Market
Saturday, December 6, 2008 -- 12-6pm
Hilda's Giftshop in the National City Christian Church
5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC
Start your holiday shopping off right, by buying handmade from the 20 coolest indie crafters in Washington, DC. We will have snacks and music and free goodie bags to the first 100 shoppers! Vendor list coming soon, but I will be there selling stuff as well as awesome other folks like Block Party Press, Denada and 60 Bugs. It should be really cool with lots of Crafty Bastards Veterans.
Craft Mutiny Holiday Trunk Show
Saturday, December 13, 2008 -- 10am-5pm
Design Within Reach - Georgetown
3307 Cady's Alley N.W.
Washington, DC 20007
Get your last minute indie holiday shopping done with Washington, D.C.'s favorite indie craft collective Craft Mutiny, at Design Within Reach on Saturday, December 13th.
Buy handmade goods and meet local crafters at this one-day event, hosted at the slickest home store in D.C. One-of-a-kind goods for sale include clothing, stationary, prints, jewelry, handspun yarn, plush items and more.
The studio is located on Cady's Alley just off 33rd St NW between M St NW and the canal.
About Design Within Reach - Georgetown
Our Georgetown Studio is located in historic Georgetown, in a landmark building sited along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. As a part of the Cady's Alley design development area, the 2,072 square foot space represents the best in modern furnishings from around the world. Displayed gallery style is an assortment of designs for the lounge, workspace, bedroom, patio, restaurant and cafes, in addition to lighting and floor coverings. Proprietor Ann Blackwell, a longtime modern design fan with a background in Marketing to the creative industry, oversees the Studio with her charming and knowledgeable staff.
For more information email craftmutiny@gmail.com.
Each week, the Hello Craft Podcast collects stories of making and buying handmade.
This week, I talk about my grandfather, John Ross Henry. He was obsessed with making throughout his entire life and it wore off on me.
Click here to download the episode (right-click and choose "save as" on PC, or control-click and choose "save as" on Mac)
You can contribute to the show, too! It is easy. Check out the instructions.
Check out the rest of our new Crafting Blog and Podcast, Hello Craft. Hello Craft is also working on a unique event for DC for 2009.
I launched the new Hello Craft blog and podcast yesterday. I am pretty exited about this project.
Hello Craft is dedicated to the advancement of independent crafters and the handmade movement, as well as empowering small business owners and educating the public to the benefits of buying handmade and teaching the joys of making.
Hello Craft aims to bring together crafters and makers to learn and grow as a community. In 2009, Hello Craft will convene all interested in advocating for and advancing the handmade community at a summit that will take place in Washington D.C.
I am also excited about having a second podcast. This one is weekly and is short and collects stories from listeners about making and buying handmade. It is really easy to submit your story via a toll free number.
http://www.hellocraft.com
For the past few months I have been working with my friends Sara, Kim and Kelly on a new project. The new project has been a little hard to define because I find that we have so many things that we want to do that we aren't just one thing. Basically, as a group, we are planning an awesome craft event for DC for next year. More on this soon. But for now, we are about to launch a blog and podcast. This whole shebang is called Hello Craft. And we are really looking forward to as many people as possible contributing. The first way that you can contribute is to send your story to the podcast. It will be a weekly show that features your handmade stories. And it is easy to contribute, you just need to make a phone call! Here's the pitch:
Hello Craft is collecting stories. Your stories about making and buying handmade. Call our toll-free voice-mail line 1-888-317-3785 and tell us your story in under 5 minutes and it might appear on a future episode of our soon to be launched podcast. Tell us about who inspires you to make, about buying your first sewing machine or about how the handmade community effects your life. We wanna hear about your crafting injuries and failures, brilliance and successes.
Here's what ya do!
1. Decide what story you want to tell.
2. You can either record it yourself and email it to us if you have the know-how or call our toll-free voice-mail line (1-888-317-3785) and leave a message up to 5 minutes long.
3. Please start your message like this: "Hello Craft! My name is *your name here* and I make *blank*. If you don't make anything, then say, "and I buy handmade". Then tell your story. Extra points if it is funny or sad. :)
4. At the end, give us your email address, business name, etc. and we will edit out the email address. We just need to be able to contact you.
That's it! This will be a weekly podcast hosted by Tina Seamonster. It should be really fun to collect all of our stories! Email tinatheseamonster [!at] gmail.com with questions. The phone number is toll-free in the US. Contact us if you are outside of the US and would like to contribute.
I can't wait to hear your story.
Still recovering from Crafty Bastards.
Got a new camera so I added a new banner to my etsy shop. Anya was busy, so Rachi and I took some pictures. Also been adding some new things to the shop. Really proud of my new stuff. This blog post sounds like a Twitter post. :)
Check out the new banner and stuffs.
Oh! Also working on a new project. It is called Hello Craft. More on this soon. :)
Check out the little post about my new Alastair the Grumpy Gnome cards over at the Crafty Bastards blog.
I will have some of these at Crafty Bastards this upcoming Sunday, September 28th in Adams Morgan, DC at the Marie Reed Learning Center. I am in booth number 39, near the stage! I won't have many of these cards as they are still in product testing, so check it out!
Every time I work on this card it ends up saying, "Zombies Attack Satan". I actually mean Santa. My girls have been cringing away from this holiday card for the past two weeks as I work on it. I am hoping this isn't scaring them for life, but instead giving them a good sense of humor when it comes to hoping that monsters ruin the holidays. They are getting used to the bad zombie attacking Santa, so I guess it will be ok. The way I see it, a little fear of zombie attack is nothing compared to leaving them to be Vice President. So there!
Anyway! I cannot decide if these cards should use the word 'Cancelled' with two L's or one. Both are correct (according to a million references on the internets). I like it with two L's, but even this blog editor says that is wrong. Please help me grammar gods!
Oh! You can pre-order these cards now! I am doing this because I really don't know how many I will need. So, $5 off of 20 when you order this week and they will ship at the end of the month. Pretty good deal, less than $1 per card.
Order here!
And thanks to Lolageek for ordering the first set! I heart you! You always let me know my ideas aren't crazy. :)
Anya just got really excited about an idea. She said, "Let's make teddies out of old clothes. We can make them with our hands. And me can mail them to someone else and they would send us something in return."
I say, "But I don't have a sewing machine."
She says, "It would be better to make them with our hands."
Sadly, the price of Gocco supplies seems to be going up. I am also having a hard time getting some of the supplies. I am working on an article about this for the Crafty Blog, but thought I would mention it here. If you use a Gocco you might want to stock up on supplies. Two of my suppliers are currently out of bulbs!
Seeing this means that I will have to raise my prices until I get the for real silk screening down. That said, my prices on Gocco printed cards and shirts will all go up on 9/25. :(
My preparations and blogging and tweeting and press releasing and goccoing and sewing for Crafty Bastards is starting to overwhelm me. I feel like I am on a rollercoaster that I can't get off of and I will be going down a huge hill for two weeks. Yes, this seems to be starting earlier than last time. Crafty Bastards is two weeks away! And I have so far experienced two set backs with the product development of the new gnome cards. Poo!
Anyway, I have made over 70 ornaments and a new card in which Zombies attack Santa! More updates coming soon!
We will be having another Crafty Mutiny Supply Swap at the fair, so get your unused and unwanted arts and crafts supplies ready to swap! (more coming on this too!)
Check out the Crafty Bastards Blog for lots of stuff by me including this From Dabbler to series in which I talk to indie crafters about how they develop product lines. First up is the amazing Block Party Press.
Crafty Bastards is September 28th at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan, Washington, DC. I am booth #39!
Can you see why I have no time for vampires?
The DCAC Wall Mountables show is over and I just found out that I don't have to go and pick up my art because it all sold! All 5 pieces. This is awesome, but also I am sad to see it go. Here is a picture of the show.
In this photo of the show, the arrows are pointing to two of my pieces. And it looks like one person is either laughing at my vampire piece or maybe just sneezing. I am hoping laughing at it. :) I got two good reviews of my stuff at this show and it was awesome to be picked out of over 100 artists.
One review here.
Tina Seamonster needs some sort of award for best nom de plume (we assume). Seamonster's sliced and varnished log sections resemble some sort of bad kitsch souvenir from the 50s that would read "Home is where you hang your hat." Only these cutting pieces have weird observations and sayings on them, such as, "Being a vampire must be such a drag, it just goes on and on and on ..." or "Sometimes I hate that time is linear. I want it to be a swirly wobble..." It's hard not to love stuff like this.
And this one from the Washington Post.
I was totally entertained by Tina Seamonster's works, which looked like discs sliced from a tree trunk that revealed strangely hilarious messages. One ruminated on the result of a box office battle between John Cusack today and the John Cusack of the '80s.
This has totally encouraged me to make more stuff, but first I have to sell half a tree's worth of pieces that are in my room. I will have them all at Crafty Bastards on September 28th. There are a few still in my Etsy shop, though.
I wrote a cool piece about Steve Strawn's awesome robot photos for the Crafty Bastards blog. Crafty Bastards is September 28th!
The other night I gave a talk at the Whole Foods as part of the Crafty Discovery Series. This was my second time doing this and it was fun. I spoke about being a professional crafter. This was funny because while I am a professional crafter, I feel like I am still learning. Still trying to figure out how to sustain holiday sales all year long, how to not have to work my part time job. I was glad to be able to talk to people who are still in the beginning stages of building product lines and brands, I feel like I have a lot to offer in that discussion. Last night reminded me how hard it is to have a successful small business, how much work I have done in the past 4 years to get here. It all seems a blur. And I wonder what awesome stuff I can do when the girls go to school, how I will have so much more time! I can't wait. Part of that is learning to silk screen without the Gocco. I feel like I am at this awesome new place.
I turned 35 two days ago. I firmly believe that we should try to reinvent ourselves every 5 years. At 25, Jeff and I had a record label and a zine. We were silly kids with big dreams. At 30, I lost 80 pounds, started this blog and then got pregnant. I am excited to see who I will become at 35.
I think that the best thing that I can do to create the next new me is to learn how to manage my stress. Since I work 18 hour days or so (staying at home, then real work, then craft business, then blogging and podcasting), my stress levels can hit these peaks during the day. Of course, as I have discussed before this makes me eat and thus stay fat and thus get stressed out and it is a circle circle circle.
I have been trying all kinds of weird things to manage my stress. Yesterday I cut my hair. The girls were using washable markers to put on "make up", which ended up making them look like Darryl Hannah in BladeRunner. They just wouldn't listen to my pleas to stop, taking away the markers made them scream and the loud just pushed me to the kitchen. I have learned to choose my battles with them, but then I medicate with Pirate's Booty or cheese. Instead, I told them that I was walking away. And I did. I went to the bathroom with my sewing scissors and cut my hair. I started with about an inch, then another, then another and another. The last time I did this, I was 12 and tired of how long my mother made me keep my hair. It was liberating both times, but kinda stupid because I don't really know how to cut hair and hate actually paying for real haircuts. Oh well. Now I just look slightly more messy than I feel I usually do.
I've had a really good food week. And today my mind feels clear and ready to deal with the girls. I told them this morning that we could go to Target to get new Play Doh. This is an undertaking as I either have to walk them a mile uphill or take them on the Metro. Then there is the shopping with the double stroller with them trying to get out. Then the mile walk home. The only thing I asked them to do was to eat their breakfast. So far, no breakfast eaten. I did switch their morning cereal to organic Fruity Bunnies from Whole Foods, which was a shock to them. They would much rather blueberry pancakes. So, instead of stressing about when we will go to Target, I told them what they needed to do and am now blogging until they comply. If they refuse to listen, they don't go. End of discussion. Once again, I am picking my battles with them and not letting things bother me.
I hope that the self-imposed 5 year personal reinvention will help me stay on track. I feel like I am waiting for an egg to hatch. And that I don't know what will come out or how long it will take. I love this. I love this feeling and this ability to envision a better me. My 35th year will be a tiny blue egg, and the hatched birdy will have the worst haircut ever.
I am gearing up to start making stuff for Crafty Bastards! Hoping to try my hand at "real" silk screening. Wondering when I will have time. To that end, I need to get rid of some of the stock in my house. There is just no room for new stuff. Having another $10 shirt sale. All in stock shirts are $10 until August 25th. If you don't see it in the shop, you can email me. Does not apply to custom orders.
This might speak for itself. But I really do need to know why anyone would need a dress AND A HAT for a troll. Do trolls even deserve clothing? In our house, one of our favorite questions is "Mama, how do you kill a troll?" The girls always think of different ways, hammer, sword, their favorite is fire. Yes, we love pretending to kill trolls. So, even my 3 year olds don't want to dress them up! They want to kill kill kill them and get their bridges or gold or whatever they may be keeping in their stinking little homes.
Ok, this one totally looks like my great grandmother:
Anyway.. those just made me really happy today. Not happy enough to ban the murder of trolls in my house, but happy because someone is actually making and selling troll clothing. Awesome.
A nice review can remind you that you are not crazy.
You know most days that you are not crazy and that the silly things that you do make sense and are worth your time. But some days you feel crazy and trapped in this void where people who wear too much gray look at you like you are insane. This WashingtonPost.com review of my stuff at the DCAC Wall Mountables did this for me yesterday:
Read the whole review here.
I'm having a $10 t-shirt sale in my shop. Saying bye bye to old designs and stock!
My q&a with Rob Walker is up at the Crafty Bastards blog. He will be discussing his new book, BUYING IN: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are, at Politics and Prose on Wednesday, August 6th at 7pm.
Check out the interview! He is smart and cool.
I am in desperate need of a new web site. One that integrates Twitter and Flickr and all of the things that I tend to spend my time on rather than blogging. Well, not Flickr, yet, as I haven't replaced my camera yet. But Twitter. I find that it is all I do now.
The idea of designing a new website just makes me feel a little sick. I mean, who has time for that? Super blah. But this old blog is sad and needs a new face.
My brother and his wife went with me and the girls to the DCAC Wall Mountables yesterday and were super helpful on an insanely hot day. Mikey hung my work while I wrangled Anya and Sarah stayed with a sleeping Rachel in her stroller. It really is invaluable to have someone in your life who thinks like you and understands you. I sometimes forget about how much my brother knows me and just gets it. He makes me realize why some people have personal assistants. I am laughing as I write that sentence. But just having someone who is willing to help you with things when you are trying to do too much is really nice. Mikey knew exactly where and how to hang my pieces and it was a relief to not have to use a hammer while holding the hand of a three year old.
The DCAC Wall Mountables show runs from July 18 - August 31. Information is here.
Spend $40 or more (including shipping) and get 10% off! From now until July 17th. If you pay with paypal, I will either send a new invoice or refund the discount!
Deadline for Crafty Bastards DC is almost here!
The application deadline is July 17th. You can apply using the registration form.
Now, in it's 5th year, Crafty Bastards DC will be held Sunday, September 28th at Marie Reed Learning Center in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC.
In other arty news, I will be taking some pieces to the DCAC WallMountables show tomorrow. I posted about it on the Crafty Blog, check it out here. It looks like fun, so if you have anything to hang, check it out!
It has been a weird crap week full of dentists and credit card theft. It is strange, though. I can't complain too much because all of this weird crap happened to me and not the girls. So I guess if the girls are fine, I am not too stressed out.
Doing all the extra work on Crafty Bastards Silver Spring took a lot out of me last month. Between the blog for them, planning the supply swap and my own booth, I didn't have much time left to exist separate from it. This isn't bad at all! I remember last year at this time, I was stressed out just getting my own booth ready for Crafty Bastards. And to know that I can do all of this at once (plus work and the girls), is really awesome. I love to know that I can push myself and press on and do really cool things with my time. Not to mention Artomatic, which ended last month. That was likely the best thing that I have done for myself in a long time. It provided a challenge and proved to be a success since I sold so many of the pieces.
This all seems like old news of course. Last month's news. So stale. Like each month of my life is this mini year or something.
We are almost three.
Three is a silly perfect age. We tell stories and go on walks without the stroller to gather rocks and leaves. It is still a bit like herding cats, except now I am herding talking cats. Cats that talk and talk and talk and make me laugh.
I am beginning to work on a new line of holiday cards and ornaments and I am excited about this. I have so many ideas and can't wait to start sewing. I miss making the zombie ornaments, too, and am redesigning those.
I think I might even be ready to start talking weight loss again. So, we will see.
I have begun to list some of the left over wall pieces from both Artomatic and Crafty Bastards. I really love the little swirls on this one:
The Ultimate Sadness of Time Traveling Twins Aqua
This one is a mixture of wood burning laser transfer and Gocco printing:
Vampires are the New Grandpas Wall Art
There are a bunch more here.
Thanks to everyone who came out to Crafty Bastards Silver Spring! It was crazy hot, but a great show. I am slowly updating my shop, so message me if there is something that you are looking for!
Not only will you be able to swap your unwanted arts and crafts supplies at the Craft Mutiny Supply Swap Booth #56, there will also be fun demonstrations and handmade crafting kits, too!
Want to learn something new? Try your hand at crochet or gocco printing? Meet other crafty folks? The Craft Mutiny is organizing several free demonstrations tomorrow. Here's the schedule:
11 AM - Crochet with Chauncey (Swap Booth) - see how this DC area artist gets his crochet on!
12 PM - Shrunken Punks Panty Hose Zombie Heads with Spooky Daddy (Booth # 58) - Craft Mutiny is sponsoring a few kit giveaways here, so don't miss it!
1 PM - Knitting with Woolarina, Jess, Kelly (Swap Booth) - learn some knitting basics!
2 PM - Gocco Printing with Tina Seamonster (Swap Booth) - See how a gocco works, from burning screens to printing postcards!
3 PM-5PM - Grab Bag Crafting with Sandra (Swap Booth) - see what you can make with a bag of random supplies! Results will be added to a fridge door that will be displayed at a DC museum!!
There will be supplies for you to try out, or take away for a small donation.
You can also pick up handmade kits that will teach you to make felted soap, hand-sewn pins, and a soda cap pincushion. Their new zine, The Dabbler, is all about crafting with bottle caps!
So, check out the Craft Mutiny Supply Swap at Booth #56 tomorrow!
I will seriously have all new products at Crafty Bastards Silver Spring this Saturday! Seriously! All new! Sharks and bees and wall art and hurray! I am Booth #60. Say hi! A free magnet to anyone who reads the blog and mentions that they read the blog and want a free magnet. No silly words this time cause I am afraid I will forget the word and look at you blankly when you say something weird.
Crafty Bastards Silver Spring is just 2 days away! Don't miss the show!
Saturday, June 28 from 10am-5pm
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
8230 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, MD
Join City Paper at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center Saturday, June 28 for our bi-annual indie craft shopping extravaganza. Shop for one-of-a-kind, handmade items from more than 70 vendors while enjoying a full day of entertainment, workshops, and local treats.
Bring your own T-shirt to screen during one of the workshops! Trade unwanted craft supplies at the Crafty Mutiny Supply Swap Booth! Rock out to local music on two stages!
The Crafty Bastards blog is hopping with vendor and performer interviews and spotlights, so check it out!
Just now, Rachel said to me, "Mama, can we make a craft?"
Speaking of which, Crafty Bastards Silver Spring is just 8 days away. And the application for the big Crafty Bastards in DC is now online!
The Craft Mutiny Arts and Crafts Collective is having a Supply Swap at Crafty Bastards Silver Spring on June 28th at Pyramid Atlantic.
If you have left over arts and crafts supplies taking up space in your house, here is your chance to recycle them! Never got the hang of a certain craft, but still have all the supplies? Trade them in for something else. Just want to get rid of all those beads or fiber or fabric? Donate them to the swap and maybe someone else can do something with them! You will be able to recycle or rescue all kinds of things from yarn to fabric to paint to beads. Please leave house paint, toxic materials, and old clothing at home. Other than that, if you think someone can make something from it, bring it! Don't have anything to swap? You can still pick up new-to-you-supplies crazy cheap even if you don't donate/trade. Also plan to get in on the fun with demonstrations of Gocco printing and yarn spinning, plus zines and how-tos.
While you can drop off your stuff at booth 56 the day of the fair, you are also invited to join the Mutiny for a Supply Swap Happy Hour next Tuesday, June 24th at 6:30 at Chloe in Adams Morgan, DC (2473 18th St NW). Drop all your unwanted supplies with us, have a drink, hang out and talk crafty.
The Mutiny are also looking for volunteers to help man the booth during the fair, so please email craftmutiny@gmail.com if you would like to sign up for a shift. It will be a great way to make new crafty friends!
I cut my own hair last night. First time ever. Only took off about 3 inches, so no big deal. It was really fun and I look a little more human now. I also bleached it, but it isn't really bleached enough for another color. I might add some pink stripes or something.
I did all of this because a storm knocked out our internet. Makes you wonder what fun things I could do for myself without the internet.
This morning, Anya told me about the Wiggles. She told me that they have a dog and a girl dinosaur and that they think they are little boys. This was funny. They do act like kids. Makes you wonder if they really need to do this. Perhaps Anya would respect them more if they acted like normal people.
I am starting to get really excited about Crafty Bastards Silver Spring on June 28. I am making a bunch of these wall pieces (photos to come!) and designed some new postcards and shirts.
I am also helping to plan a supply swap at the fair and am excited see how that goes. There's information about that at the Craft Mutiny site. We are looking for volunteers for the booth in 1-2 hour intervals, if you are interested in helping out. It should be fun. Just email me! You will get free stuff for your shift!
I have been working on the Crafty Blog, gathering photos and stories from vendors and this is really rewarding, seeing everyone getting ready for the show. Check out the vendor gallery to see who will be there! Having two Crafty Bastards in one year is so much work (and fun!).
Oh, here is my new postcard.
There is a really nice review of The Tree Project, here. It is a play that some of my work lives at right now (in the lobby). The play looks really really interesting and I can't wait to go see it closing night.
This is one of the pieces on the wall there:
I have to admit, I am the wimpiest twin mom ever. I totally avoid taking the girls places by myself. I tell myself it is for safety. That they totally aren't old enough to listen to me about not running off yet. And this is mostly true. They aren't even 3 yet, so I shouldn't expect them not to get the impulse to just run off. But really, if I work hard every single second of an outing with just me and them, I can overcome being out-numbered.
I did this three times last week. Once, walking them to the park, once pushing them in their stroller nearly a mile to Target and then on Friday, I took them on the Metro to Artomatic to make sure my wall was still there and that the pieces that I have already sold were still in tact. Each time with the girls got easier, but I still found myself repeating the same safety instructions over and over and over again. This has got to be the worst part of being a parent. All the talking. The sound of my own voice.
Hold my hand or you will go home. Don't run away from me or you will go home. If you listen to me you will not fall down. If you head-butt your sister, you will go home. No biting or pushing. Put that back. No cookies. You already got a new toy. Winnie the Pooh is not just for babies. Please do not pick that up.
It just goes on and on and on. If I am lucky, Anya will start to repeat the instructions for me. Rachel, no running. Rachel, do not bub bub me. Rachel, I am going to throw you in the trash. Ok, that last one is of Anya's creation, not mine.
I almost feel like I have to literally push myself into these situations each and every single day or I will just stop. That this crazy exploration of our city has to continue so that this will become our new normal. No more Tuesday mornings inside watching "How I Met Your Mother" on the DVR, I must be out in the world, making the girls experience new things.
At this age, I feel bad that they don't go to "school" if you can call daycare at 3 "school". I know some people do. But in this city, we just can't afford it. We are hoping to be able to afford pre-school in a year when they are 4, so for now, I am their teacher and their best friend and I guess it is ok if I keep pushing myself on to the next adventure. After our trip to Artomatic on Friday, I went to put the girls to bed at 8pm and couldn't wake up. Just slept through my free Friday night. I slept for 10 hours. Grandma sleep. The sleep of a twin mom who is actually pushing herself and not taking the easy at home with My Little Pony route.
Let's see how long I can keep this up. Let's see where I take them next week. Let's see.
***
Oh! My Artomatic wall is still there, on the 8th Floor. I haven't been able to take a photo yet, but here is one that my friend Rania sent me:
This past week, I have been making pieces for The Tree Project. It is a performance piece with an art show. It is about memory and trees and where memories go when we die. My friend, Sean, asked me to be part of it and it has been cool coming up with pieces that fit the theme. Pretty easy, actually, as it seems that I am often writing about memory and age and time. One of the pieces is actually an entire blog post burned onto circles of wood. Hope to have some photos later. Anyway, my stuff is part of the art show in the lobby of the Clark Street Playhouse. Information about the show is below:
Wednesday, May 21, marks the opening of The Tree Project:
an art show, installation, and performance piece about memories.
For Wednesday's opening night, doors will open at 6.30pm for a small reception, the performance starts at 8pm, and a reception will continue afterwards.
The art exhibit features works by Sean Hennessey, Erin Antognoli, Kerri Sheehan, Kristina Bilonick, Rania Hassan, Tina Henry-Barrus, Claudia Olivos, Sergio Olivos M., Kirk Waldroff.
The Tree Project runs through June 7 at Washington Shakespeare Company's Clark Street Playhouse (in the warehouse) at 601 S. Clark St., Crystal City in Arlington, VA.
Performances are at 8 p.m. on Sundays through Wednesdays, and at
11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. There are no performances on Sunday, June 1 and Monday, June 2. Closing performance and event will be Saturday, June 7 at 8pm.
Looking for more information? Please visit The Tree Project web site for more details.
I have a new post over at the Crafty Bastards Blog about making stuff with my new woodburning tool.
I have also been posting lots of these pieces to my Etsy shop.
The girls are currently singing, "You gotta be brave in the cave." I don't know what this means, but it is funny.
The other night Anya said to me, "Mommy, you have to follow your dreams." I don't know if she learned this from me or the My Little Ponies. I bet it came from the ponies. She listens to them more.
Crafty Bastards is looking for volunteers for the June show in Silver Spring (June 28th!). Information on this is up on the crafty blog.
This is the fifth anniversary of Crafty Bastards and there will be two shows this year! I will have all new stuff at the June 28th show in Silver Spring, Maryland. More soon on my preparations. Expect to see some really cool stuff from both veteran and brand new bastards.
One of my pieces at Artomatic:
This was made by transfering a laser print onto wood with a woodburning tool.
You can actually buy this one on my
Etsy shop.
I will be selling some of my dwindling stock at the Ballston Market tomorrow from 10-4.
The market is in Welburn Square at the Ballston Metro, between Wilson Blvd. and Fairfax Dr. on N.Stuart St. in Arlington. It is right at the metro, pretty easy to get to.
There is also a Rock N Romp from noon to 3. You'll hear excellent music from Exit Clov, Carol Bui and Gist. Yes, it is going to be a rad way to spend the afternoon, with kids or not. Oh, and did I mention that it's FREE?
The weather is likely scattered showers, but I think the show will go on since the big rain will be over today.
Last night I finished hanging my new stuff at Artomatic. It opens tomorrow.
Artomatic
May 9-Jun 15
1200 1st St NE DC
New York Ave Metro Stop
Hours:
Wed-Thu: 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat: noon-2am; Sun: noon-10pm; closed Mon-Tue
Free admission; donations welcome
You can find me on the 8th Floor in this Space: 8th Floor, SW, B7
My wall is a very bright aqua. There are free cards and stuff on the table there. Also a mailbox where you can leave a comment which will go on the blog.
Photos to come.
I am also be selling at the Ballston Market on Saturday. More info on that later today. There is also a Rock n Romp there this weekend!
I have a new post over at the Crafty Bastards blog about making new stuff and my new woodburning tool. Check it out!
The gals behind Crafty Bastards will be hosting a little event tonight to help people apply to the June Crafty Bastards. I will be tagging along! Here is the info from the Crafty Blog:
Join us at Quarry House Tavern on Monday, April 14th, 7pm-9pm, for a chance to ask questions and get advice on everything from vendor statements to application photos and other general tips to help make your vendor applications stand out.
We would love to see all you veteran Crafty Bastards who are interested in helping people with their applications and encourage anyone looking for an excuse to hang out with like-minded crafters to attend. Come out and enjoy the awesome beer selection and yummy food at Quarry House while we fill the place crafty chatter. No need to RSVP, just stop on by.
Where: Quarry House Tavern (8401 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, MD)
When:Monday, April 14th from 7pm-9pm
Cost: Free!
Who should attend: Crafters in the DC area
Don't forget! Application Deadline is next Wednesday 4/16!
Vendor applications are due next Wednesday, April 16 for Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair being held Saturday, June 28 at Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center in Silver Spring, MD. Apply today.
I have been Goccoing shoes all night. Green shoes, brown shoes, pearly blue ones. On wood and notebooks and speckle-y lime green cards. I wrote a story with the shoes. Of two girls, twins. clones, in the future. But one is unstuck from time. It is the ultimate sadness.
The second in a series of Gocco printed twitter/blog posts on Walnut Hollow Basswood Shapes. Hand printed with my Gocco hand stamp with light and dark green ink. Both sets of Mary Janes are double stamped. The top pair is slightly off though, as the owner of the shoes is unstuck in time. She can't control her time traveling the way her sister can and this is so so sad. One wonders if she even exists. And they spend their lives searching for a cure.
This is the worst picture of all time. My old camera broke and I am stuck with this silly little orange camera.
I have been Goccoing shoes all night. Green shoes, brown shoes, pearly blue ones. On wood and notebooks and speckle-y lime green cards. They are simple and lovely and mean so much without words. There are double prints, dark green on top of light green. Some barely offset, some totally woobled. They are like ghost shoes, on top of or underneath living shoes. Copies or twins or clones of one another, but in a different time. Slightly off.
I am feeling free to make things that are lovely.
I would show you. But the batteries are dead in the camera. Poo.
I was lucky enough to see another play doh wall art installation this week. This one was again started by Rachel, but was a little different because it was multi-media. This one was really really beautiful.
And for all you moms out there who are stressed out by this, it totally comes right off! I just wait for them to not be around before I take it down.
You can totally follow me on Twitter if you have a Twitter account. Not sure how many people actually have one. But here I am.
Exciting news about DC's best indie craft event! This year there will be two Crafty Bastards shows! One in June and one in September. From the Washington CityPaper website:
The show will be held Saturday, June 28th at Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center on Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring, MD. Crafty Bastards Silver Spring will have a focus on learning, an emphasis on craft workshops, and highlight up-and-coming artists and those newer to the indie craft scene. There are 50 10ft.x10ft. booth spaces available. Applications will be accepted through April 16, 2008. The jury will review the entries and we will notify everyone of their status via email by April 22.
Awesome! Go here to apply.
You can also read my application tips on the Crafty Blog. If you have any questions about applying, leave them in the comments and I will answer them!
Television Zombies has a new website! Jeff worked really hard on this and we are so excited about it!
All Zombies are the new Bunnies cards are on sale because Easter is quickly approaching! Check out my Etsy shop.
Just a note that I have begun to blog at the Crafty Bastards blog more regularly. Check it out for news on shows to apply for (including local to DC), Etsy tips, indie craft marketing advice and product spotlights. There should be something new and interesting to the indie craft world there every day!
Jeff and I have contributed a story to Etsy with instructions and advice on both listening to podcasts and creating podcasts.
- You can view the first part, "Podcasting, Anyone?" by clicking here
- You can view the second part, "How to Produce a Podcast " by clicking here
I tried to avoid the zombie Easter/spring card, but Zombie Guy Eric talked me into it. And I have to say this one was the most fun to design:
The Crap Bunny is made by and provided by my friend Spidercamp. Isn't he rad?
The cards come in packs of 5, 10 or just one alone. You can get them at my Etsy shop.
I also made some felt easter basket buddies, which are completely useless, but cute:
Easter is early this year, so order soon!
Some photos of us looking at our photos at the Corcoran last night. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us.
Here, Anya points to one of our photos. When she saw this one, she said, "There's Mommy all alone." This was so smart because it was actually the point of the photo! See below, in this one, I am on the phone with Jeff while away at the Bust Craftacular in New York in December.
The girls thought the gallery had a good dance floor.
Rachel and I:
All of us with Valerie:
The girls dresses are by courtneycourtney. They are made from recycled t-shirts.
Another of the photos taken by Valerie Dryden.
We do this every morning. We paint paper until it gets boring, then we paint our arms and faces. Rachel likes to paint her Little People most of all, though.
There is an article on the Etsy Storque today about our opening Gallery 31 at the Corcoran tonight. Check it out.
I think it is really really important that as parents we try to push away the tired tired and try to be creative and productive and show our children how important doing is.
I will be selling my stuff Zombie Valentines Sunday at this event!
Crafts
& Kisses Valentine Craft Fair
Sunday, February 3, 12 noon to 5 pm
Josephine Butler Parks Center
2437 15th Street NW
http://craftsandkisses.com
What: 40 crafters selling
unusual handmade items and special gifts, including handknit and screenprinted
apparel for men/women/kiddies, jewelry, cards, handmade books, valentines, soap
and skincare products, handbags, handspun wool, pillows, pottery, and other
items for walls/homes/wardrobes/bodies/brains/hearts.
What else: Music, treats
to eat and drink, a kissing booth, goodie bags to the first 50 visitors, and
more!
Sponsored in part by BUST
magazine and the Washington City Paper.
Don't forget to check out the Counter Culture Festival this Saturday at Dr. Dremo's. The Washington Post mentioned me in their review of the event! My new zombie valentines are here and so cute!
Details
4-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19
Dr. Dremo's Taphouse
2001 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA
• Information: 703-528-4660
• Price: Free
Editorial Review
Readers of this column and the Going Out Gurus blog may be getting their fill of items about the closing of Dr. Dremo's, but since the Arlington institution is closing on Jan. 27, you won't have to hear about it much longer. Saturday is the annual Counter Culture Festival, which combines a craft market, local clothing designers, authors, comic book artists and other creative types with live music and a sideshow. You can browse Tina Seamonster's awesome notecards and shirts and then see carnies hammer nails into their noses and walk on glass, or pick up one of Beth Baldwin's funky stuffed animals for your girlfriend before rocking out to the reggae band Lucky Dub (listen) or one of six other acts. Admission is free. The market runs from 4 to 8, and the performances start at 8.
-- Fritz Hahn (January 2008)
Scottbmotorbike and I have been working hard on new things. I am excited every time I get a new email from him. There are two new cards in my shop right now and a third is on the way.
It is funny that I make cards because I don't send them. Isn't that weird. I just know there are so many people like me who would send cards if they could find some cool ones.
Here are some new things:
In other news, Rachel has a hernia and will need an operation to fix it. More on this later. I have lost 5 of the 10 pounds that I gained. And I totally hate Hillary Clinton. She is a fake crybaby and I don't know how anyone could have thought that crap was real. God, I hope she loses big.
My Zombie Plague Holiday Cards are on sale in my shop. Great for people who are late sending cards, who want to send New Year's cards instead! When these are gone, there won't be any more just like these, as next year there will be a new version of the design!!!
I am having a shipping sale at my shop. All packages to the US only between now and 12/21 will be sent priority 2-3 day mail, no matter how much you spend on shipping. I am also shipping everyday until them. So odds are you will get it in time for xmas!
And don't forget my little shopping event!
I can't believe it is December already! My Etsy orders are about to hit 1000, which is just insane and I have two huge shows coming up in the next few weeks. First is the Bust Craftacular in New York City on December 8th from 10-8pm!
I am booth C-14 and my sister and I are super excited to be traveling to NYC! Do stop by and say hi.
And the best for last, the Craft Mutiny Holiday Booty Market is your last chance to buy handmade in DC this holiday season! It is going to be like a fun little party where you can buy stuff!
Craft Mutiny's 2nd Annual Holiday Booty Market, a one day show and sale featuring 20 of the area's finest indie crafters will be held Saturday, December 15, 2007 from 12pm-6pm at Hilda's Giftshop located inside the National City Christian Church at 5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC. Don't miss this last chance to score some sweet hand made items from your favorite local indie crafters. There will be music provided by Jason Hutto of The Aquarium, snacks, and a craft table for the kids so you can focus on the awesomeness! Plus free goodie bags for the first 100 attendees!
If you're a fan of Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair, you will not want to miss the Craft Mutiny's Holiday Booty Market. Not only have Crafty Bastards organizers Kim Dorn and Sara Dick helped plan the Booty Market, most of the vendors are Crafty Bastards veterans as well. Expect to find local favorites like Woolarina, I Like Seamonsters, 60 Bugs, Kristina Bilonick, George Ryan, St. Bob and the Happy Little Trees, Daisy Lacy and many more.
The Holiday Booty Market is organized by Craft Mutiny, a DC-based arts & crafts collective of 15 members established in 2006. We don't just make things. We buy handmade and think you should, too! Shopping at the malls and big box stores can be torture, especially this time of year. The mass-produced selection of goods is often lame and increasingly toxic. Buy awesome hand-crafted items this holiday season and support local artisans.
DETAILS
WHEN: Saturday, December 15, 2007 from 12pm-6pm
WHERE: Hilda's Giftshop at the National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC 20005
I just posted this to the Craft Mutiny Blog, but wanted to post it here too!
I have been asking everyone, "Are you making ornaments for our Craft Mutiny Ornament Drive?" And I usually hear, "Um. I don't make ornaments." Dude, I would have said that 4 months ago, too. I have actually never had a Christmas tree in my house as an adult. I wasn't sure if it was laziness or what, but never have. The traditional ornaments and holiday decorations just doesn't appeal to me. They are still in the realm of "country crafts" and that just blah. So I decided to turn the holiday ornament on its head with my line of Zombie Plague Ornaments, see:
And then, I started making the Creepy Santa Head ornament:
See, with some felt and imagination, the possibilities are totally endless. I say, let's make our own, new, modern holiday traditions. There is no reason why zombies can't be the new mascot for the holidays? Who knows, 50 years from now, Christmas could be about worrying about the zombie apocalypse. Wouldn't that be fun!?
So don't tell me you don't make ornaments! Everyone has their own idea of what the holidays should look like, so show us yours! We are taking donations of both traditional and non-traditional ornaments at our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th. Bring 1-5 ornaments to our show, ready to sell. Put them on our tree and we will sell them and donate the proceeds to charity.
Saturday December 15, 2007 * 12-6pm
Hilda's @ National City Christian Church * 5 Thomas Circle
If you are looking for safe, kid-friendly (and lead-free) gifts for the little ones, you will find lots of options at the our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th. Check out these cute kid-friendly plush creatures from Tree Man Jake! Dirty Snowball, anyone? We are excited to have Edie at our show and think you will love her stuff. Check out the Craft Mutiny blog for a little Q&A with Edie from Tree Man Jake.
On a personal note: Edie made me a scarf once. It is huge and orange. It makes me feel like a female version of Doctor Who, but not as cute as David Tennant. It is one of my favorite things.
You can come and check out our show on December 15th. It is going to be rad, like a tiny Crafty Bastards, except, well, tiny. And rad.
Craft Mutiny Holiday Booty Market
Saturday December 15, 2007 * 12-6pm
Hilda's @ National City Christian Church * 5 Thomas Circle
Over at the Craft Mutiny blog, we are taking at a look at the vendors for our Holiday Booty Market show in DC on December 15th! Today is Block Party Press.
Over at the Craft Mutiny blog, we have started posting interviews with the vendors for our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th in Washington, DC.
Today is Saint Bob and the Happy Little Trees.
 
So rad. Check out the interview.
The show is Saturday, December 15th from 12-6 pm at Hilda's @ National City Christian Church * 5 Thomas Circle, NW. Nearly all of the vendors are former Crafty Bastards, so you know what kind of stuff you will see. The first 100 shoppers gets a free goodie bag!
I am about to hit 900 items sold on my Etsy Shop! Crazy! The buyer of the 900th item gets a free Zombie Plague Ornament and if they are a reader of my blog (and tell me so in their order), they also get 10 free cards of the same design!
Woohoo!! Just goes to show that silly ideas aren't always silly. :)
On this Cyber Monday (biggest internet shopping day of the season), remember to Buy Handmade!
Something fun and new in my shop is the 'Zombies are the New Bunnies' Pendant. I only have 5 of them right now and they are so cute.
Here are a few more of the over 150 items in my Etsy shop!
Today was my most successful day as a crafter.
I got my largest number of orders ever in one day, 11! I also found out that I got into the Bust Craftacular in NYC after being wait-listed. This was a crazy surprise and is turning my holiday season upside down. Exciting! Now I must make and make and make.
Wish me luck and if you live in NYC and want to help in my booth for an hour or so or have an extra bed for Saturday, December 8th for my sister and I (and don't want to kill us), let me know! I do hope you will come and see me.
A Zombie Plague Holiday Ornament wholesale order packed up and ready to ship out!
Last night I went over to Beth's (Magpie DC) house with Paula Woolarina to make ornaments for the Craft Mutiny Holiday Booty Market. We are selling ornaments and giving the money to a food pantry. Anyway! I came up with this cute little ornament to donate:
Cause Santa is Kinda Creepy if you really give it some thought. :) You can pick one of these up at the Craft Mutiny Booty Market on December 15th or get one from my Etsy shop now! And we are taking donations of handmade ornaments to sell at the show. Just email me for details!
I am excited to say that I have started reviewing products over at the Indie Babies blog and that my first post went up tonight. My posts for them will be weekly on Fridays, so be sure to check me out!
I know, like I have time for more writing/blogging/anything other than sleeping.
As you know from Yeti Loves Seamonster, I am really interested independent designers who make stuff for kids, so it just seemed like an obvious extension of my work with YLS to write for Indie Babies when they asked me to be a contributing editor. I am hoping to learn more about indie designers outside of Etsy and how they make their businesses thrive. So if you have suggestions of things for me to write about for either Indie Babies or YLS, do contact me. I wanna see what you dig!
Valerie took these pictures of Anya for my shop. In them, she is wearing my new, Zombies are the new Bunnies shirt in black, long sleeve. Anya was so excited to have us all to herself, as Rachi was taking a super rare nap. She jumped on the bed and had fun.
I am about to make a run of this shirt, so if anyone wants one in a special size, do email me!
Craft Mutiny is having an awesome indie craft holiday show. This is going to be a super fun event, so please mark your calendars! Most of the vendors at the show were Crafty Bastards this past year, so if you missed something, you might find it here! More info on vendors to come, but right now, you can get the wheres and the whens at Craft Mutiny.com under Events!
If you cannot make it to D.C. on December 15th to shop and hang out, you can totally still participate! Here is my little press release about this:
The DC Craft Collective, Craft Mutiny is accepting promos for our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th. We are stuffing 100 goodie bags for the first 100 shoppers! We would love to get promos from you to put in these bags. You can send 10-100 items. Please make them good! We would like samples, not just business or postcards. Convo me for the address to send them to and to let me know you are sending them. We need them by December 1st.
ALSO! And this is cool. We are having an ornament drive to raise money for the food pantry attached to the church where we are having our show. You can donated 1-5 ornaments, priced and ready to sell and all proceeds go to the food pantry. We are encouraging both traditional and slightly wonky/odd ornaments (see my shop for what I am talking about!). You can also send some promo materials for us to give out along with the ornaments. We need these by December 7th. Do convo me if you would like to contribute!
Beth Lemoncadet had the idea that rather than give out candy tonight, you should download our Yeti Loves Seamonster Halloween Coloring Book page and give it out!
This is by Korallin of KukyIdeas.com and can be found at Yeti Loves Seamonster's Downloads page, also go and check out our other pages and check out the Submit page to see how you can contribute.
Thanks to the Austin Chronicle Fashion Blog for writing about me today. Nora wrote a nice piece about the custom shirt that I made for her. She also gives a nice shout out to Etsy.com.
In turn, there is a piece about the piece on the Etsy Storque today.
And I suppose this blog post is a piece about the piece about the piece. :)
In other news, I didn't get into the Bust show. I am bummed. Oh well, the nice press makes up for it.
It is a record... Beth and I blogged three Etsy sellers over at the Yeti Loves Seamonster Blog today!
Don't forget to check this site. I totally love it.
These are my new Xmas cards. I am really happy with them. They are really stressful to some people, I could tell when I saw some people read them this past weekend at a show that I sold at. I like that. But they are really how I feel about the holidays. I miss my grandparents so much, but I hope that some day we will make new, better holiday memories. I know you have all been at this place.
In other holiday card news, I have sold an enormous amount of Zombie Plague cards and I have to decide how many more to make as well as get printed. I am almost out of the 312 that I made and the 500 that I printed. The trick is that the more I make and get, the cheaper they are for the customer. Anyway, like last year, you can totally pre-order these if you like or even just put in your order for later. Just email me and tell me how many you think are you going to need. I just sent out an order for 50 today!!!
And the little Zombie Plague Ornament is also a big surprise hit. People have asked me to sell them in packs of 3, 5 and 10! These are all up in my shop. Just click SHOP above. I am also looking for real life stores that might want to buy some of these wholesale. They will sell fast and I just love making them. I am working on Mr. Z felt brooches right now. How funny will they be?!
I just posted this to Yeti Loves Seamonster:
I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I got an email from the editor of ZNN that I had been featured on their super cute Zombie blog.
The Zombie Notes Newsgroup Blog keeps you informed on all that is rad in the world of Zombies.
Thanks ZNN!!!
I blogged over at Yeti Loves Seamonster today about how I hate cats and also about an awesome kitten skirt for little girls. Check it out.
In my post Crafty Bastards exhaustion, my blog is suffering. This makes me sad because she is my first love. So I am vowing to write everyday, even if it is just a sentence or a picture. I am newly here.
Speaking of Crafty Bastards, I have to say this was just amazing. I got to talk to and meet some nice people and hear great stories about leaving panda poop shirts in hotels in Spain, got great recommendations for books to read and talk to old and new friends. My brother, Mikey, came all the way from San Diego to help me run my booth and he was such a help! There were often so many people in that small space that I had to just walk away! I am sorry if I missed you. We sold out of medium shirts and as well as the zombie ties! But I still have lots and lots of other stock, which I have slowly been adding to the my Etsy shop. I literally have hundreds of shirts left in different designs and sizes, so do email me if you want me to look for something for you.
My sister's TV bags were a big hit! I have been seeing pictures of them pop up on blogs lately. :) We sold out of Pam and Jim, I think, but didn't sell one Michael or Charlie! Can you believe it??? We are holding the rest of the Elloh painting bags for upcoming shows, but the other bags are going on the Etsy shop. If you want to get one of the Elloh print bags, just email me (they are $35 plus shipping). We still have Hurley, Michael, Dwight, Charlie, Sawyer and David Brent (all from the Office and Lost!).
Here are some pictures from the day. Some of these were taken by my friend Audrey, some from Valerie and some from the Washington Citypaper flickr pool.
Zombie Plague Holidays table of goodies. The zombie plague xmas tree ornaments were the biggest seller for the day. I learned that people would want more than one at a time! So I will be selling these in packs of 3 soon. For now you can get them in my Etsy shop one at a time.
Me and Jeff:
Mikey:
Hurley bag:
Sawyer and Michael bags:
Pam!
Charlie:
Ghost shirt with double print:
I think that all of my shirts are going to start to look more like this one with double prints. They are much more work, but are lovely.
New Zombies are the new Bunnies shirt:
That is it for now! No pictures of Lisa Seamonster! I have applied to the Bust Craftacular in NYC in December and I am excited/afraid to even get in. If I do, it surely will be an adventure as Lisa will be coming with me.
Thanks again to everyone who stopped by to see me at CB and to everyone who bought stuff. I hope you love what you got!
Check back every day for blogs, I am totally almost surely back.
I am still recovering from Crafty Bastards. I have never been this tired, ever. I am also thinking about the holiday season and what I can do to spread the message of the coming zombie plague. I am also missing podcasting and can't wait to get back to that this week.
There is so much I haven't blogged, like how we love to wear our princess kitty shirts with digital camo shorts, looking like little club DJs and how we saw Elvis Costello eating in the window of an Indian joint in Adams Morgan in the middle of the day and how we waved at him like he was a neighbor and he smiled and waved back and how I have been maintaining my weight with stress eating and how it feels horrible (but at least not gaining!). Life has been stressful, I actually made 410 shirts for Crafty Bastards and now it is over and everyone was rad and the show was awesome and how do you continue when the best day of the year is over?
I am still here. Photos coming super soon! For now, check my shop (link above) to see what I have been adding.
I was up until 2 last night working and screen printing and I am proud to say that I am now done printing and now all I have to do is heat set nearly 400 shirts. That is all!
I have made so many cool things in the past few days. Take a look!
Your (and My) World of Warcraft Characters are ruining Our (and My) Marriage shirts. If you get this shirt, you get it. I know it is a real niche! I made some for women and some for men, varying who the bad guy is. These all feature these lonely swords drawn by my friend, Jake:
This is a terrible picture... wait til you see these in person.
50 assorted Yeti Loves Seamonster shirts, mostly for kids:
5 of these We are So Doomed DC tourist shirts:
I also made more zombie ties, shirts and onesies! I also made 5 of the most beautiful "Someday we will all be ghosts shirts" ever. They are American Apparel women's sizes, one of each size and they are just stunning. Camera battery died... but they are aqua with double printed ghosts in lime and blue. They almost made me cry. I can't wait to meet who gets to wear them.
The piles of clothing are stressing the girls out, though. In the morining when Anya sees them drying in the living room, she says, "I hate these shirts!" I can't wait for this to be over so she doesn't have to be stressed!
Crafty Bastards is a mere 6 days away! Here is what I have made in the past 4 days, since I last checked in:
3 zombie ties
I have had 3 requests for these, so thought I would just do a prototype. These are really cute, so I hope to make more in the next few days.
21 Zombie Plague Xmas Tree Ornaments
This was something new for me. Hand sewing! I hand printed the felt with my Gocco, then I hand sewed them all together and added the little jingle bells to a few of them. I don't know if I like them better with or without the jingle bells. I also have no idea how to price something like this because the materials don't cost much, but they take about a hour each total to make between the printing and the sewing! They are so small, though! Of everything that I have made this year, I love these the best.
312 Zombie Plague Holiday Cards
I wanted to print 1000 of these, but I only could do 312. This makes me sad, so I ordered 500 to be professionally printed. I like the printed ones better than the Goccoed ones, but not sure what others will think. Perhaps I just don't like printing so many by hand because they are a lot of work!
35 Zombie are the New Bunnies Shirts
Assorted colors, sizes, shapes, for kids and adults. This is my new design. Zombies are the new bunnies. Cause they totally are.
And here are the magnets:
Ok. That was a lot... let's see what I can do in the next 6 days!
Today is a strangely big content day for me on the internets. It seems like I have stuff all over the place!
First, the final installment of my I Heart Marketing My Etsy Shop and You Will, Too! article on the Etsy Storque is up! It really is the best part, with the most useful information if you ask me. It is also hella long for internet reading, but I think important! It also shows my new design that has one of my friend, Doug's, World of Warcraft characters wearing my zombie shirt. That pink haired gnome always makes me laugh.
Check out the article here.
In other crafty news, my first Craft Mutiny Podcast is now live. It is a preview of the vendors at the Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair (Washington, DC, 9/30, 10-5, Marie Reed Learning Center). The show is a little specific to the event, but still interesting even if you can't come. My friend Sara and I are hoping to talk more about the world of indie craft, talk to crafters and give advice in upcoming episodes. It isn't on iTunes yet, but you can download the first episode here.
And finally! The new Television Zombies Podcast is now out.
Television Zombies, Episode 9: Life Stinks (aka Who Would You Eat on Lost?)
The episode so controversial that it almost didn’t get published! Only 72 hours in the studio could save it, but save it we did. This week, the TVZ crew talks about NBC’s new cop show, Life, cannibalism and dating on Lost, Halo 3 versus indie craft, American Idol, and assorted tangents. Click here to download.
And don't forget to check Yeti Loves Seamonster for new stuff. We add new earliest memories and cool stuff for kids every single day!
Wow. That was a lot. Off to finger paint with the girls. Thanks for reading. That just gave me an idea for a web site where you post your kid's drawings, like a global refrigerator door. Ok, stop me. No more web sites!
Crafty Bastards is just 10 days away. I am going to document what I make each day. These photos are from 12 days away. These are what I made on Sunday. I have been sewing some little Seamonster and Pirate Girl pin cushions and these really cute zombie holiday ornaments. Here is a pile that I made on Sunday:
This picture shows the 50 seamonster shirts that I silk screened. Anya decided she wanted to see the plushies.
And here Rachi decided to get in on it. Anya said, "I want them. I love them!"
Check back tomorrow to see what I made today!
The second part of my How-To market your Etsy shop article is now up on the brand new Etsy Storque. This part is kind of obvious, I can't wait for part three to go up, cause that one is fun. Take a look and be sure to leave nice comments!
I Heart Marketing My Etsy Shop and You Will, Too! Part 2
I have hardly mentioned the biggest thing that I have been getting ready for over the past month! Crafty Bastards is nearly here and I am not even close to ready. I keep starting new projects and not getting to the real meat of the work. Crafty is seriously my favorite day of the whole year, so do come out and see me! You will totally dig it, the vendors this year look awesome. Check out the vendor gallery.
This year's Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair is Sunday, September 30, 2007, 10am-5pm at the Marie Reed Learning Center at 18th & Wyoming in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. Same location as before, I even have the same spot, booth 27!
I am working on so many new things, it is crazy. I started Zombie Plague Xmas tree ornaments last night. I am sewing them by hand, which is relaxing. They are a little wonky because this is the first time I ever tried to sew anything by hand, though. I am also working on lots and lots of packs of Zombie Plague Holiday Cards, zombie underwear and some secret designs that I will reveal at Crafty (think geeks and bunnies and boats).
My sister is hard at work on these amazing "I heart my TV Friends" bags. This is truly a collaborative project! They feature art prints of characters from The Office and Lost by the amazing Elloh. These bags are super limited, as we are only making 20 of them!
And that is Lisa wearing the bag, not me!
I went to the Crafty Vendor party last night and saw all my crafty friends and this is always energizing. I love knowing people who make things. They are my favorite types of people, people who spend time thinking and doing and creating.
Do come by and see me. I am thinking of a special promotion for blog readers, so do check back!
I met Morgan from Panda Head totally randomly last month and she was super nice to interview me for her rad blog. Panda Head is a washington DC fashion/style blog. It was funny to me to be interviewed for a fashion blog because my fashion is so anti-fashion. I suppose this is the point. :) Thanks so much to Morgan for interviewing me.
Check out the interview!
Do come out and see me at the Ballston Arts and Crafts Market this Saturday! It is at the Ballston Metro!
Ballston Arts + Crafts Market
September 8 :: Saturday, 10am-4pm
Joy Charming Vices and I will be selling here this Saturday.
The Ballston Arts+Crafts Market is held every second Saturday from June-October from 10am-4pm. Come check us out at the Ballston Metro in Arlington, VA. Besides handmade art and crafts, there will be live music and food.
The first part of my How-To market your Etsy shop article is now up on the brand new Etsy Storque. There is also a gigantic picture of the girls and I and our messy kitchen. This is a small part of a long series. Take a look and be sure to leave nice comments!
I Heart Marketing My Etsy Shop and You Will, Too! Part 1
My new site (with partner Beth of Lemon Cadet) is live! Check it out. Download some coloring book pages, read the blog, figure out how you can contribute, visit the shops of our members. Let me know what you think!
Yeti Loves Seamonster.com
You can check out my newest guest blogget spot at the Washington CityPaper site here:
Make Your Promos Rad
I have been a robot blogger lately. So much blogging for one girl.
This past Saturday, I was lucky enough to be invited to take part in the X in DC event at the Bebar. Check out their website, xindc.tv.
As soon as I see Sara (Pile of Craft), I start spilling my crafty guts out. It is rapid fire. I am telling her about the new designs that Scottbmotorbike and I are talking about. About this one new one that makes me laugh and about the holiday cards and how I want to make 1000 of them and sell them all before xmas. Then I am jumping into the new Yeti Loves Seamonster project and then talking about shirt pricing and then realize I haven't asked her how she is or anything.
I have been so inspired by the world lately and it makes me want to make and make and make some more and I have no one to talk to about it. I mean, I talk to Jeff, but he wants to hear about this as much as I want to hear about Halo 3, so it doesn't really count.
Erin, who works on the X in DC project has actually picked up our non-driving selves and taken us to the Bebar and this is amazing and fabulous and nice and did I mention rad? Sara and I set up in a little nook in the club and settle in with our pens and paper and start to conspire on all sorts of things that make me think and excited and wish I had another day in my day to do more of what I love.
I have come to realization that the craft of craft is not really the best part of the craft. Do you know what I mean? It is the people of craft and the reaching out and storytelling and the new ways that we are all living. Sara and I talk about this, in this strange place, with this awesome backdrop of sound and images and live painting. This is a very different world from mine and yet I have been made to feel at home in it and I don't care if I sell anything tonight, I just wanna talk to people and listen to people and live in the world. I do this. I practice my own advice. You never know who are you talking to. Everyone is someone amazing. So you better be rad yourself. I give out lots of free cards (not postcards, but stock). The very lovely Yoko, who is an X regular artist, talks to me for a long time about my ghost design. I am not used to this much talking about something that I have done. I am used to this much thinking, but not this much talking. I am slightly embarrassed by it at first. I always feel this way about my silly stuff. But she is fabulous and totally gets it and totally makes me tell the story about how I almost died when the girls were born. And in one moment, it hits me what this means. I knew it. I have known it, but it finally hits me. And I think of that taxi cab hitting months later. And I realize that I should have known that day. That hour, that moment on that January 30th when my girls were tiny babies. I should have figured this all out. The moment that the car and I connected and i was flying through the air and landing on the hood of that car and being thrown to the ground. But I couldn't. We can't really. We can't look our own mortality in the eyes and meet it and love it and be it and survive it. It takes time and this is how long it has taken. And I am talking to Yoko, who I don't know, and we are talking about ghosts and wham!, I am realizing that every day that we live is a day that we could also die. And that I passed it by twice and that I am a lucky seamonster.
The rest of the evening is rad and I talk to more people who have met me other places, long ago and this surprises me. I feel like a different me has been out in the world meeting bloggers and tribal dancers and painters and this me stays home and watches too much Dora the Explorer. Like I have this more interesting twin or something.
One of the X photographers, Graham Meyer (http://www.falsedigital.com), digs the new zombie underwear that I made for the event. Too bad, the underwear all seem too big for this skinny crowd! I make a note of this, that my adult Zombie Underoos need need need to me smaller. We go outside to the alley to get more light and he snaps some funny pictures of me holding them. Here is one:
It was a cool night. I had lots of fun, the people were rad. I left with more ideas and work to do. I dig this. Once again, I can't believe I wasted so much of my adult life doing nothing.
ScottMotorbike and I have a new design. And Anya won't stand still to show it to you:
And Rachi was still drippy haired from a bath to try it on for us. You can see it on my etsy shop, though. This one is going to go on shirts for the whole family soon! Email me to put in a pre-order request!
Here's another picture:
And the description of this new design:
They both live in secret worlds. It is rare that they are seen together. But they really do love one another, the yeti and the sea monster. They like hugs and swing sets and movies by Wes Anderson.
This design was, of course, inspired by my new project with Beth LemonCadet: http://www.yetilovesseamonster.com.
Rad event alert! I have been invited to participate in a very unique event on August 18th (one day before my birthday!). XinDC at the Bebar is a rad mix of music, art, fashion, performance, graphic design and live painting. It sounds a little too rad for DC, doesn't it? ;) Anyway, fellow Mutineer Sara and I will be selling our stuff and taking part in this unique event. I would totally love to see you there. You could bring me a birthday present! Actually, it would be present enough if you would come. And I mean you!
It is from 6-10, Saturday August 18th at the Bebar. Cover is $5. Check out their site, it looks really cool.
XinDC at the Bebar!
http://xindc.tv/
August 18:: Saturday 6-10pm
BeBar
1318 9th Street NW DC 20001
>> Come and see Tina and Sara at this unique event!
X = LIVE (PERFORMANCE + ART + PROJECTIONS + ELECTRONICA + FASHION) + YOU!
On second thought, if you have content for Yeti Loves Seamonster (see below), do send it to yetilovesseamonster@gmail.com
The site should launch on September 1. Send all earliest memories (including if you watn your name or website displayed with it) and coloring book pages by August 20th if you want to be part of the site launch!
Beth LemonCadet and I are working on a new project: a website to promote quirky/rad/cool handmade children's goods. It is called Yeti Loves Seamonster. I came up with the idea last week and we are running with it. In honor of it, she snagged an Etsy Treasury, take a look:
The site will not only feature cool/quirky handmade goods for kids, it will have an area with free downloadable coloring book pages for parents to print out. No more coloring Dora and Elmo! I am gathering black and white pages of art from all kinds of artists. If you would like to be a part of this project, use the contact link above to email me. I am accepting two types of art. First is your choice. Pick your own favorite piece, make it black and white (for coloring in!) and send it to me as a 8-1/2x11 PDF. The second option has you drawing something new on the theme, "Yeti Loves Seamonster." These should also be black and white 8-1/2x11 PDFs. These will be collected into a free downloadable coloring book with all of the other pieces in the series. All art will remain yours and you can add your URL or contact information to the page. Make sense? I am really interested in providing interesting content for parents to expose their kids to.
Another section of the site will be a blog that collects first memories. Anyone can send these to me. Again, click the contact link and email me your earliest memory, any length is fine. I did this a long time ago in a zine and really loved it. I think it is nice to remember that as parents we are helping create these memories for our little ones and revisiting our own is fun.
Yeti Loves Seamonster isn't up yet, but will be in the next month or so. Do feel free to send me content, ideas for content, whatever! Tell me about cool handmade kids stuff and I may feature it!
My new post to the Crafty Bastards blog is now up!
Take a look here.
For the 4th year in a row, I am a Crafty Bastard! This means the next 10 weeks will be spent preparing for one awesome day of meeting new people. We are hatching new plans for new designs and other things.
Are you a Crafty Bastard?
My newest guest blogger spot for the Crafty Bastards blog is up! It is about setting up and growing an Etsy shop! I share tons of tips and tricks to help you with your crafty business. If you have questions, feel free to comment with them and I will answer in said comments.
Growing your Etsy Garden, Washington CityPaper Crafty Bastards blog.
Just a note, the CityPaper site is up and down today because of lots of commenting on their cover story. Check back later if you can't get to the link.
And my Etsy shop is here: tinaseamonster.etsy.com.
Some of my Craft Mutiny peeps will be selling their stuff at the very first Pile of Craft show in Baltimore this weekend!
Pile of Craft is a juried indie/alternative craft fair that will be hosted by Baltimore’s new Charm City Craft Mafia on June 23rd, 2007. The event will be held indoors at St. John’s Church, located at 2640 St. Paul St, Baltimore, MD 21218, from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM.
Jeff and the girls and I will be checking it out. I am looking forward to going to my very first indie craft show where I will not be selling! Super fun! A few things to look for.
I love these cute necklaces from Sara (who is also called Pile of Craft!). They are so simple and cute with just the right amount of sparkle. Rachi models the trees below. Anya refused to sit still to model her rocket ship.
I am not sure if Sean will have any of these doors with him, but I have been meaning to blog these for some time because I dig them so much.
From Scenic Artisan.
I have two of these little doors and I love them so. This is a terrible picture, but here you can see them on my living room wall with two tiles from Jenna Colby (also a serious favorite).
Rania from goshdarnknit has the best little Gocco-ed wallets.
 .
The show is free and should be fun. If you are near Baltimore, check it out!
My guest blogging continues on the Crafty Bastards blog today with a post about the Print Gocco.
Do comment with all of your Gocco tricks and tips! And questions, too! I will try to answer them.
Check it out.
There is still time to apply for the Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair! You have until July 1. Don't forget!
Check me out on the Fabulist from yesterday.
And on Indiefixx last week.
My Art Star Philly report has been posted to the Washington CityPaper Crafty Bastards blog.
Check it out here.
Rememeber to comment to let us know you exist!
Just a note, I will be selling my stuff at the Ballston Arts Market by the Ballston Metro at Welburn Square this Saturday from 10-4. Nearly all of the Crafy Mutiny! will be there. We are booth 13 near Stuart Street.
The market runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday and the free concert starts between 12-1 and runs 2 hours.
If you're coming from DC, take the orange line to Ballston and cross N. Stuart Street. You can also take the 38B which starts at Farragut Sq. and travels through Georgetown and over the Key Bridge, ending at Ballston Metro.
Read all about it on the Crafty Bastards blog (including a nice mention of me!), here.
More information here:
http://www.ballstonarts-craftsmarket.blogspot.com/
My Art Star report will make it to the Crafty Bastards blog later this week, for now, here are a few photos of my booth and stuff and self:
Self portrait of me in the Art Star bathroom:
I am looking slightly thin even though I have been staying the same weight with all of my crazy stressed life. I am also looking slightly booby. Can't wait to see how many people are googling the word 'booby'.
A few new items.
First, this amazing Zombies in Washington mash-up tshirt. I got the tourist shirt on clearance and added my zombies.
I still have this, it is a small. I can't figure out how much to charge because it is so darn rad.
A ghost hoodie that a sold to a girl who really loved it!
And I am finally printing the seamonster design:
I sold lots of these, and was super surprised.
The new design that is sleepy was not unveiled as we are still working on her. But the seamonster was new for the day.
I have also thought about adding little books to all of my shirts, with stories and blog posts about the shirts. Not sure how many people will appreciate this, but this is what I am thinking about. I want to add an element of story telling to my items, so we will see see see.
A friend who is pregnant came to visit recently. I told Rachi that there is a baby in our friend's tummy. To this, Rachi looked at her and said, "cut out." Thus proving that not only do I always tell my children the truth, but that they were listening when I told them that they used to live in my tummy and the doctors had to cut them out.
***
I am back from Art Star in Philly and I am exhausted. There will be a report very soon with pictures. Thanks to everyone who came out and picked up my stuff. Thanks to Lissie who I met on Etsy who sat in the hot hot all day with me and helped me sell. Thanks to Paula Woolarina for driving and her friend Mike for the tour of South Street.
More more soon soon.
Next week, I will be at the Ballston Arts Market with the Craft Mutiny on Saturday, June 9th. Details to come.
Today, just now, my first post as a guest blogger for the Crafty Bastards blog at the Washington CityPaper site has been posted. I am super excited to have this opportunity! This reminds me, the Crafty Bastards application is now up and ready for you to apply. Good luck!
Check out my first blog post here.
And the nice intro here!
Do comment on the post if you dig it!
At night when I work, I like to wear Jeff's socks. They are too big for my feet and this makes me feel very young and not too tired at all.
My May and June are fast fast with too much to do. Lots of web work and a pile of over 100 t-shirts to silk screen. My sad old Print Gocco machine is starting to worry me and I am thinking of replacing her. I have been doing battle with silk screen inks, and they are winning mostly. I have too many special orders, but I know they make people happy, so I plug along.
I am getting ready for Art Star Philly which is June 2 and 3. More details later, but I would love it if you read the blog and live in or near Philly would come and see me and say hi. I would dig this. That sentence was strange, but I am not sure how to fix it. I will also be at the Ballston Market in Virginia the next weekend (June 9?) along with the Craft Mutiny.
I have a new design. She is very pretty. Scottmotorbike is working on her now. She is very sleepy. She won't sell like the zombies do because she is more personal to me and thus slightly strange. You can see her at Art Star Philly for the first time.
I need to rest, but I don't see any in sight. I should not complain because it would be poopy if my life weren't this exciting and productive. I remember a me who never got anything done. She was lame, albeit well rested.
Today, I hit 400 sales on Etsy! I wanted to make 400 sales by the end of May, so the goal was met a little early. And the best thing, sale number 400 was for a pair of "Sometimes I Worry about Zombies" underwear!
This makes me the etsy featured seller for today!
The post office clerk said to me yesterday, "You are doing well," as I put 8 packages up on the counter. I try to avoid this conversation by helping Ani put her sun hat back on.
"8 packages today and 10 a few days ago," she says.
I know that she is going to want to know what is in them. And I dread this.
"I am doing ok," I say.
"Very good, I think," she says.
She really wants to know what is in the packages. "You are in here twice a week with this many packages," she says.
"Putting alot out into the world," she says.
"I silk screen t-shirts," I say. She is surprised by this.
"Mostly about, um... ghosts and zombies," I say.
"Mostly about ghosts and zombies?" she repeats with a question.
Yep.
***
Our seasonal allergies have turned into bad asthma attacks. I never even thought about this, but here we are. So now, asthma meds have been added to our day, which makes certain little girls a little more wild than usual. Ani hasn't felt well, so hasn't been eating much. A weigh in at the doctor this week shows that Ani is 24 pounds and 2 ounces while Rachi is 24 pounds even. The near same weight is making Ani look a lot like Rachi.
Here are the girls in the garden, pretending to be in a boat:
I love the dress with pants look. Tie dye dress was a gift from blog reader, Pagan Moon. She sent this a long time ago and it finally fits!
Today's Etsy featured seller is catiepillars.
I just could not resist these tree girls. I had to get them for my girls. I was going to save them for their birthday in July, but couldn't wait. They got here on Friday and I brought them in at nearly midnight when Jeff and I got home from seeing The Arcade Fire. They were still up and running loops around their Nana. They were so excited to open them. Now Anya runs around the house yelling,"tree baby, where are you?"
and
From catiepillars
Here are the girls with their tree babies:
We are all suffering from seasonal allergies right now. So we hug our tree babies and try to stay away from real trees. The weather is just too nice to stay in, though. So we go to the post office and the side garden anyway.
If you are at the Coachella Music Festival, anywhere near the Sahara stage tonight, keep an eye out for my zombie shirts! Some folks working with the Evil Nine will be wearing them! How rad is that? The first person to send me a picture of someone wearing my zombie shirt out in the world (someone that isn't related to you!) gets a free zombie shirt. The person must be willing to get their picture taken, though! No stealth photogs! There is one free shirt here in your size! Just one!
I will be selling my stuff at the Big Art Show in DC tomorrow (Saturday, April 28th). Do come out and see me! I silk screened these ghostie bags new for the night:
Here's the info:
BIG ART SHOW DC #1
Saturday, April 28th
@ The Rock And Roll Hotel
1353 H Street, NE,
Washington, DC 20002
Doors @ 7 ~ $5 (non-participants) ~ all ages
Over 50 artists, plus bands. Should be super super cool! Do say hi!
I really dig Magpie D.C., a new local to D.C. etsy seller. She makes the most charming little bats and ghosties and Astro-NOTs!
and
From Magpie D.C.
We have one of her ghosties and the girls learned to say ghost by playing with him!
Today's featured Etsy shop is the wonderful Elloh
From Elloh
I bought this Dwight print for my brother for xmas because he works all alone. This Dwight is now his office mate. I loved Dwight so much that I bought us one for the apartment. Then I bought another one for Jeff to take to work. Lucky me, I ended up getting a free Angela to go with Jeff's Dwight. At $8.50 these wonderful prints are so affordable that you gotta buy one for everyone you know! I love how she takes her favorites in pop culture and makes them her own. She also has rad taste! Oh and she doesn't just have Dwight, I have loved watching the entire cast of both Office series show up in her store. It is like seeing portraits of friends.
Here is Dwight in our living room, in an Ikea frame along with my ghostie and our favorite round orange Ikea mirror.
I am thinking of getting the Ryan next:
Or perhaps Jim:
You can pick up the whole casts for $85!
So last week on The Office, Kelly called Larry in the warehouse a seamonster. It was meant to be mean because he is big, I think. It was the strangest exchange I had ever heard. Such a weird thing for someone to say. Do I have any blog readers who write for The Office? :) Have you ever heard anyone call someone a seamonster? Very strange. Making me rethink this whole seamonster thing!
I have been doing a lot of silk screening lately and am working with scottmotorbike on a new design. Everytime I think I am tapped out and won't come up with something new, won't ever have any new ideas again, I come up with something that I really dig.
I am getting ready for The Big Art Show in DC on April 28th. Do come out and see me.
BIG ART SHOW WASHINGTON D.C.
Saturday April 28th - Rock And Roll Hotel - 1353 H St
7pm
Until then, you can see new stuff off to the right in my etsy shop. I still have a bunch of special orders for ghostie shirts... but my gocco is scarying me and ruining bulbs, so I am not looking forward to the two shirt design! The shirts are here, though, in case you are waiting for one, it will be done this week.
I have never been a purse person. I am more of a bag person. But I have found a purse maker whose creations I can't seem to resist. I bought this for myself on etsy, it is the second purse by Sulako that I own.
From Sulako
I love this purse because of the rad fabric and the mix of orange and green. But I also love love love the shape and the magnet snap.
The shop has another one that I have my eye on (so don't you buy it!). It is called "Escape from Witch Mountain Purse"
Today on etsy, I saw these rad Yeti undies. Didn't buy them cause my bum is far bigger than this, but they are still rad. ( Oh and LemonCadet says, "If you would like a creature like this, or any of my other little guys, just send me an email. I am happy to take special requests for panties or other articles of clothing in many sizes.") Rad.
From LemonCadet
LemonCadet has lots of other yetis, though. I like the yeti. I wish I had one for a pet. Of course, who doesn't!
I also dig the Milkman's designs on kid's shirts:
From Milkman
You can even get your shirt in a milk bottle!
here is what i bought on etsy today:
From dahliasforme
and
From blockpartypress
and
From WillsArt
here is what i would like to buy
From PreciousPups
Go handmade!
I submitted my entry for Fred Flare's Next Big Thing Contest, have you?
Here's my entry:
They are currently available in my etsy shop, but hopefully they will win the contest!
It has been so hard to keep the Sometimes I Worry about Zombies shirt in stock in the girlie sizes that I have set up a custom order listing for it on my etsy shoP!
Check it out here.
A custom link for kid's sizes might be next, if those orders keep coming in!
I will be selling my stuffs this Sunday in West Virginia! Do come out if you live near there. Here are the details:
V-Day Bazzar
9am to 1pm
Sunday, Fenruary 25th
War Memorial Buildiing
102 East German Street
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
25% of the proceeds from the sale go to the Shenandoan Women's Center in Martinsburg WV. Their website is http://www.swcinc.org/
I did this two years ago and it is a nice little town and a nice little space, so stop by if you live near there.
I've been 'tagged'! by my friend Rania to do '5 things'.
The rules are as follows:
1. someone tags you,
2. you post five things about yourself that you haven’t already mentioned on your blog,
3. you tag people you’d like to know more about.
This is me as a Brownie. I look like a total jerk and that Sprite is huge. Oh, I am on the left.
1. I got kicked out of girl scouts as a kid. The details of this event are shadowy in my mind. But I think I remember I yelled at the troup leader and used bad language. I didn't like the way she treated her daughter, who was also in the troup. I remember being told to go change out of my uniform because I didn't deserve to wear it. Girl Scouts was rad for me as a kid because I got to see how other people lived. I remember going on a camping trip where the troup leaders made us stuffed peppers for a meal. I couldn't figure out where the meat was and how I was supposed to just eat a pepper.
2. I am a college drop out. This plagued me for the longest time. Crazy bad nightmares about being in class. I was going to school for journalism, had 3 jobs, ran the school magazine, had crazy personal problems that involved boys. I was the first person in my family to go to college, was paying my own way, it was hard. So, in my junior year, I totally had a melt down and dropped out. I am glad I did this. I would not be happy as a journalist. It is an ugly profession in my opinion. I don't believe in working long hours away from my family and as the kind of journalist I wanted to be, I would have had to. I also don't have student loans and everyone always assumes you have finished college anyway.
3. In college I dated a magician. He was other things, too, but how many people can say that?
4. Before I Like Seamonsters, Jeff and I had a record label and a zine. I also used to take pictures of trash and collect old photos of girls with their dogs. I can't believe I spent so much time on these things.
5. With the weight loss, it is becoming more and more obvious that my right boob is way bigger than the left. This is driving me crazy. Seriously, it is like someone else's boob. I look a lot like my greatgrandmother and I wonder alot if she had the same problem. The picture below is of her at 16 or so, and she looks pretty even. Speaking of boobs, for some reason I have started to call the girls, "boobs." I think it is because Anya is always bigger than Rachi. It is like a collective nickname.
Ok! I tag the following people: Matt D., Wendy Circle Circle Dot Dot, Korallin, Suzy Focoloco and Joy Charming Vices.
Today is Cyber Monday, the biggest shopping day of the year online. I didn't know this until I heard it on NPR this morning, but I should have known. My pile of orders from the weekend was big enough for me to handle, but this morning has been insanely busy. Everytime I write an address on an envelope to pack an order, another one pops into my email box. It is lovely, but scary! I fear I will sell everything before my 4 December shows!
Anyway, I am doing a new print run of the zombie shirt and the octopus shirt, so if you would like to special order something, please email me as soon as possible! I also have tons of my sister's monster purses that aren't in the shop right now. Oh! And the Zombie Plague holiday cards came in! Half of this run are already sold, so if you want some, order them now too!
Whatever you buy today, buy handmade or from a small business! It makes people happy!
We spent the long weekend in the country at grandma's house. Here are the girls outside. Today, they aren't adjusting to apartment life very well. Poor city ladies.
I commissioned some zombie art from my friend Scott and just couldn't wait to use it on something. So this morning, I designed these holiday cards. I rather like them. I was just going to order some for me, but then thought someone else might like them. Anyway, you can pre-order them in the next two days, this way I know how many to get made. They will be ready the first week in December, just in time for you to send them to friends and foes.
The cards are blank inside and come with envelopes. You can get them in packs of 1, 3, 6, or 10. But remember, I am only making enough for people who pre-order! Pre-order the cute Mr. Z zombie cards.
I have increased my shipping charges in the shop from $2 per item to $3.85 so that all holiday orders go out Priority mail. iF you don't want to pay for fast mail, you can just email me. Some items have changed to free shipping if they are small, though.
Thanks to Scott for birthing the zombie for me.
Some of my Craft Mutiny members will be selling their cool stuff at Handmade Arcade in Pittsburgh tomorrow. Since I can't really travel with the girls yet (could you imagine a 4 hour car ride with twin 1 year olds?), my friend Joy from Charming Vices offered to take some zombie t-shirts with her to sell. I also sent some cards. Whoohoo! So, check out her booth on Saturday. Here's the info:
Handmade Arcade
Construction Junction
Nov. 11, 2006, 11 AM - 7 PM
214 N. Lexington Ave
Pittsurgh, PA
I just added these zombie magnets to my etsy store:
We have all had a stomach virus this week. It has been the first sickness since I started staying home though and I am pretty sure Rachi brought it into the house from the cart in Target. One sickness in 2 months isn't bad at all. We did spend 3 hours at the hospital making Rachi drink Pedialyte out of a syringe like a baby bird, though. Poor lady was dehydrated. It was funny to watch her bounce back and come to life again. Makes me wonder if some adults I know walk around dehydrated all the time.
This skirt is now on my etsy shop. Here is the description:
This is a rad super rad vintage nurse's skirt. It says, "Somtimes I worry about zombies" in iron on letters. Zombies are a big problem today, show your concern with this one of a kind skirt.
This is a vintage skirt and says it is a size 18, but there is no way! Please read these measurements carefully. The waist is 16 inches from side to side or 32 inches around. The length is 24-1/2 inches and the hips are 22 inches from side to side or 44 inches around. So, 32 waist, 44 hips and 24 inches long. I have no idea what size that really is, so measure yourself! This skirt will fit someone out there.
Writing on skirts is totally my biggest passion right now. I made this one this week. I wish I could buy iron on letters by the letter and not the alphabet, cause I never have enough "E"s. I need to learn to sew. I need to learn to sew. I need to learn to sew!
I am drowning in contract work, but all I can think about is making things. I have been thinking of making things that I don't yet know how to make and this is both exciting and frustrating. This is the first time in about 4 years that this has happened to me. I think it was 4 years ago that I started to make the little collages on wood that I loved so much. I have nearly stopped those, except a new batch of mirrors that I made for Crafty Bastards this year. I think the original batch of collages were about 60 or so. I have maybe 10 of them here on the wall above me and maybe 10 more unfinished in the closet. So there are 40 out there that people bought on the original website or at the first Crafty Bastards.
I started making those collages even before I had a website to sell them on. I wasn't sure what the point of them was at the time. I just needed to make them. I needed to write, "We are all pretty girls" or "We prefer telepathy" on a piece of wood. I needed to glue hundreds of tiny things, bits of my life, bits of trash to wood. I didn't know why. I would finish them, and leave them on the guest bed in our old apartment. I even gave some to a friend, I wonder if he still has them. Sometimes I want them back. :) Do you have one of those collages? Could you send me a picture? I miss them and wonder who you have. I started the store so that I could sell them and get them off of the guest bed.
So, right now, I am itching to sew. And I don't know how to and I fear I won't be good at it. And what I want to sew is on a huge scale. I want to make something really big and interesting. I want to make a quilt, but not a regular quilt. I want it to be something completely new. I want to cut out the biggest letters that I can. I want to write things big. Then I want to go to sleep under it.
It is weird. I have felt a little numb, silk screening the old sayings on shirts. But that zombie shirt woke my ass up. I am brimming with new ideas and I wonder what is up with me. I wonder if it is the 10 pounds down. I wonder if it is being in the Craft Mutiny and being inspired by all the indie craft gals in my life now? I wonder if it is meeting the folks at Crafty Bastards this year? I wonder if it is working with Scott on drawings and the idea of doing a children's book together. Whatever it is, it is rad.
What are you thinking of making? What are you making? Make something new. It will make you new.
I have been slowly updating both the I Like Seamonsters shop as well as the etsy store. So far I think I have added most of the remaining Army of Clone shirts as well as a bunch of things from my Crafty Bastards $5 bin. The $5 bin stuff is in the etsy shop. I have also added all the cards that are remaining including the last 3 pack of "Sometimes I worry about zombie" cards:
I just found some girlie sized clone shirts to add to the site. It never ends. After that, I will start on the dozon or so American Apparel Stress and the Modern Octopus shirts that I didn't sell.
I just wrote this postcard:
It is sunny cold today and I only have a few minutes to write before the girls wake up. The school kids are yelling outside like at the beginning of that Belle and Sebastian song on Sinister. I hope you know the one I am talking about. I miss you even though we have never met. - tina seamonster
I have lost 10 pounds since I started staying home with the girls a month ago. This is pretty amazing since I wasn't really trying. I am still fat and I need to remind myself of this when I see thinner Tina in the mirror. So, 244.5. This is an awesome number that I have been wishing and hoping to see for over a year. I think it is happening for one reason and that is that I am not eating out at all. This makes sense. I do crave it a bunch, but am not going crazy about it.
Today, I walked the girls to the U Street Post Office, which is just ridiculous. The tellers are all behind this bullet proof glass that isn't needed anymore. The place keeps all the supplies behind the desk, as if theives will steal all their priority mail tape. I was brave and brought my packages/orders there to get together since the girls are always taking things out of orders when i am not looking. I banked on them being asleep from the rock stroll rock of their stroller. I was lucky and they slept for 2 hours. I had funny adventures during those two hours, made a deal to help a used Jaguar salesman named Stephen. If I help him sell a car, I get $300. I asked him if he had any not so nice cars, because who the hell buys a used Jag and he pointed to the Toyota. We have a Toyota, I thought. Stephen was a huge black man in his early 20s. He was linebacker big or big like the men in my family. I enjoyed talking to him even if I am not going to help him sell a Jag from a crappy lot on U Street. His black suit looked like he was going to church.
After Stephen and the post office, some dirty punks sitting outside of the doggy daycare gave me nasty looks when I smiled at them. I thought, "Fuck you, dirty punks. I have pink and blue hair and you work at a damn doggy daycare taking care of rich gay guys' dogs for $50 an hour. I am the real punk here, pushing my babies in their expensive shoes. I don't even have a god damn job. Take a shower, tomorrow, you smell like dogs." I wanted to say all of this, but I didn't. It made me laugh, though.
Next, I looked in some pawn shop windows at some maracas. Two different pawn shops had 4 different sets. Who pawns maracas? I thought about the money in my pocket and wondered how much I could get a set for. The girls would love them. But then I thought of one of them hitting me in the face with one. On I went.
Near the Whole Foods, a panhandler tells me he needs a quarter to get some sardines. In my pocket, I have a quarter, a dime and a five dollar bill. I take out the quarter and the dime. He only takes the quarter telling me that is all he needs for the sardines and shakes my hand as my phone rings. It is my mother-in-law who has a question about this weekend. She also asks me where I am. I think, " I am helping a homeless man buy sardines while pushing your twin granddaughters in their expensive shoes. It is going to rain soon and I am far from home." Instead I say, " I am at Whole Foods, " because this sounds motherly.
After a visit to their old daycare, the girls and I settle in on the lawn of the university where Jeff works and is helping with some talk about Pakistan or something. It is chilly and the girls hang on me like monkeys. We are a sight on the school lawn. We watch the clouds roll in because the rain is coming. Anya tastes the grass and Rachel crinkles leaves and I am getting smaller and it is October. My favorite month of all.
Some pictures of what I bought at Crafty Bastards:
The squid pactch is from Cleo Dee, the shirt is from 1girl1boy and the banana is from My Paper Crane. The shirt is just an amazing little piece of art, hand dyed, block printed and appliquéd. It is way too nice considering it is a 2T! I plan to sew it to a skirt when the girls grow out of it. Or perhaps frame it.
Octopus pin by Art School Drop Out and octo eraser earrings from Charming Vices. Both of whom plus Heidi mypapercrane are members of the Craft Mutiny (as am I!).
Also picked up at Crafty, Rachi models this rad cape by Debbie 60bugs (also a mutineer!):
Here is a picture of the purses my sister made for the fair, I love that sad bloby one:
This bag photo is by Glen S Colen!
I am having a harder time than I thought updating the shop. I have so many shirts left over, it just seems like too huge of a task to inventory and take photos of each one! I must say I was disappointed that I didn't sell more Stress and the Modern Octopus shirts, I have maybe a dozon in this rad kid's ringer tee that is orange and green, I also have about a dozon American Apparel girl t's. What I learned was that I need to bring more clothing racks so that I can hang everything up and no one has to rummage though bins. I also sold maybe 5 skirts that I wrote on. This is my favorite thing to make and sell. I will be concentrating on these from now on. I would like to maybe learn to embroider them rather than iron on letters. But needles and girls might not happen. Heidi mypapercrane has a sewing machine that will stitch words. Hmm... I will dos ome research about what size fonts it will do, this might be the answer. If I could just type "I googled you today" and have it sewn onto a skirt, I would be so excited.
Thanks to all of you who came out to see me at Crafty Bastards this weekend. It was a crazy day and I hope I didn't seem too overwhelmed to chat! My booth was swamped with people all day. I really can never imagine this until it happens. I mean, it was like that last year and for the past month I kept wondering if I dreamt it.Yesterday proved that I hadn't as the people just kept crowding the booth. It was truly amazing.
Even more great were meeting both Karen and Nicole who I have corresponded with for a while. Other highlights were the tiny fights over "Sometimes I worry about zombies" shirts. I only made 15 of these because I was product testing them, but people just seemed to love them. I just added a pre-order to the store if anyone wants me to make them one. I also love love loved it when people bought skirts. I was telling my friend, Lisa, that I never sell the skirts and up comes a girl with the skirt that said, "I googled you today." I was so happy. Skirts are my favorite thing to write on. Something about the swoopy swoop of where I put the words. But I never sell them because they are always the wrong size for the person who really wants them. On my agenda is to concentrate more on writing on skirts because people really dig them.
Some things that I made last minute didn't even get pictures taken of them. Like the mirror that I made that said, "Some day we will all be ghosts." It was my favorite item of the day, and I secretly wished it wouldn't sell. But the girl I sold it to had the best comments about it. She said it made her happy, not sad. I felt the same way about it. I told her the story of my brother moving to Cali and missing us back in DC and how I wanted to mail or fax him my sister's ghost. I actually said the sentence, "And my sister has a ghost." to a stranger. Anyway, the girl who bought the mirror told me she had just moved here and was lonely and just bought a plant (she showed it to me). I wished I could give her a ghost instead.
Ok. More coming, like pictures of what I bought. For now, here are pictures of my booth, including the amazing sign that my sister made for me ( that is my sister's daughter, Shiny, in the picture).
I am working on updating the store and hope to have all extras in the shop in the next two days. There are lots of girlie sizes left.
Busy busy collecting and pricing al of my new stuff. I stayed up late last night making mirrors. One says, "Some day we will all be ghosts." I love this one. Another says, "Let's throw a party for guide dogs." The guide dog mirror itself isn't great, but I love the line.
Remember that Crafty Bastards is rain or shine! It isn't only supposed to rain until about 10, and we all have tents! Plus, if it really rains, we can move into the school. So, please come by and say hi!
I am the Washington CityPaper's Craftiest Bastard of the week! Whoohoo!
I am slowly getting things crossed off my list despite Jeff having to work late and early and my own work on top of it! I used my last gocco screen to silk screen this new design onto about 15 shirts. The next round of this design will have a funny zombie, but I just couldn't wait to get this on shirts! I also screened it on a rad nurse's uniform skirt (sized 6).
Then, last night, Jeff and I finished the new Craft Mutiny! website. Not much content on there yet, but it is a start and it has a nice blog where the mutiny gals and I will team blog. Check it out!
Today, as the girls napped, I packed up all my silkscreened cards and counted them. I have no idea how much to sell cards for, though!
I find that the only way to get anything done is to maintain momentum and a postive attitude. This morning, the girls were kranky and screamy, so I set about getting them to nap and did some work (real paid work), and then had time to package the cards. Here's hoping the next 2 days go as well as this morning!
Some answers to questions I have gotten lately. The blog book was printed by ComixPress. I seleted posts, had my friend, Lisa edit it and then Jeff laid it out in Indesign. It was a lot of work! Comixpress will print on demand a trade paperback or even a regular comic book. Their prices are good and their work looks great. Second question. The monster purses will be at Crafty Bastards, some will go up in the shop if we don't sell them all. Small/med ones are $12 and bigs ones are $15. Those are my answers! If we tell ya something different on Sunday, remind me of this post. :)
There are only 6 days left until Crafty Bastards. My sister, Lisa, has been hospital sick and unable to sew. She is bummed about this and tries anyway. She is working on these rad monster purses:
I have a long list of things to complete on the wall. Jeff says, "You haven't crossed anything off your list." I keep getting distracted with new ideas that aren't on my list. I ironed letters in a shirt today that said, "Sometimes I worry about zombies." It made me happy. I like ironing on letters.
Do visit me. I am booth 18 at Crafty Bastards on Sunday, October 1, 10-5, located in the plaza of the Marie Reed Learning Center, on 18th St. NW between California and Kalorama in Adams Morgan, Washington DC, 20009. Say SEAWEED and get $1 off your purchase!
We are still working fast fast on new stuff for Crafty Bastards. I silk screened about 50 Stress and the Modern Octopus shirts in a huge range of sizes and colors (even girlie and kids!). Here is a purse that my sister did for a custom order:
I hope she makes more.
More photos of my progress tomorrow.
For a long time, I have been trying to get friends to draw stuff for me. When it comes to drawing, I am so bad. One of my dreams was to have someone create a line of clip art just for me. I would tell them, "Hey, I need a stressed out octopus." And they would draw it, knowing exactly what I meant. Well, it has happened and I am sooo excited!
My friend Susan and her husband, Scott were visiting us last month while in DC on vacation and during a chance turn in conversation, I found out that Scott liked to draw. Mostly realistic stuff, he said. "Scott's going to do my clip art," I thought. I just had to ask and hope that he would say yes. And he did and I am so excited. The first piece that he tackled for me was the stressed out octopus and I was so excited about it that I came home and immediately silk screened him on some greeting cards.
What's so great about this is that Scott got it just right. I found a font for the text to match and whoohoo! This opened up a whole new world for this girl who can't draw. These will go up in the shop later tonight.
Here is a sneak peek of what I have been working on:
This new t-shirt design is going to be printed on yellow American Apparel girly shirts. I am taking pre-orders (but no prepaying!) for this. If you want one, just email me your size/style/color preference. They will be yellow American Apparel and any color Hanes unisex. These will be printed in September and ship September 15th. Oh, the shirt says "I take every corner like a dance floor."
Here is my newest refrigerator magnet:
It is also the cover of the blog book that I am getting printed next month. The book is being edited by my oldest friend, Lisa. She is not old, I have just known her for forever. It will collect some of my favorite posts and will be a nice thing to give to a mom expecting twins or maybe someone who doesn't even want kids. I sound like Al Franken ("It will make a great gift!"). Anyway. more on that later.
I am also working on one other crafty project tonight. Photos of that later.
For the 3rd year in a row, I will be selling my stuff at the Washington CityPaper's Crafty Bastards Arts Fair. I am super excited. OK that is an understatement. I have known for over a week and was hoping to make 2 new items per day until the fair. The first few days, I did silkscreen a whole new batch of clone shirts, so I have done something. But the quota of two items a day just isn't happening. This is a big day for me because I get to meet so many nice new people and sell so much stuff. I love the planning and crazy energy that go into the weeks before the fair. I love the excitement, but I hate the fear that I won't have enough cool stuff!
Now that I think about it, I realize that I have gotten some stuff done. Said tshirts, sent my little blog book to the editor, designed the cover as well as some postcards and a new refrigerator magnet. But it just doesn't seem like enough to have done in the past 10 days. I feel like I need to put up a giant calendar and fill in the days with a list of the things that I have completed. We used to do something like this when we had a zine. The page layout would go up on the wall and we would cross of pages when they were done. I used to stay up all night long to finish it. I miss being able to stay up all night long and work on a project. I am just too old and tired now. I laughed as I wrote that because I don't feel old at all. I was wondering today when I would feel old. And do old people "feel" old. It is just their shell that is old, really.
Jeff and I are also doing the Philly Zine Fest the weekend before Crafty Bastards, so that is one more weekend without time to get anything done. Poop! I actually think I might have to re-evaluate my line of items because the girls just won't let me make jewelry. They always want the beads and the ninjas and the bait. They love the bait. But it ends up in their mouths, which is kinda funny, but not safe. I have found that a sheet of stickers will keep them busy long enough for me to make a necklace, but that is getting costly!
I am going to get one of my shirt designs printed professionally on American Apparel girl fit Ts (and maybe some boy shirts, too). I think it might be a brand new design, actually. If you have any sugguestions as to which design it should be, email me.
So, 59 days to go. I will start posting pictures of what I get done each day... maybe that will help!
I have somehow had some time to silk screen a few new shirts. At one point, I actually had Anya in her highchair next to me while I did them. This was a really smart way to do it, actually, as she was excited to be in her high chair somewhere new. Rachel was playing Halo 2 with Jeff, I think. Anyway, there is a big crop of new clone and octo shirts both in my etsy shop and the regular shop. If you don't see a size that you are looking for, email me (new email address tinatheseamonster@gmail.com). I have lots of that sage green almost done in many sizes. Check them out:
tinaseamonster.etsy.com
regular shop
Oh and I have a few international orders sitting here waiting. I haven't been to the post office because of this heat wave, so they will be on their way this week.
I will be selling my stuff at the Adams Morgan Night Market this Saturday, July 15th. Do stop by and buy something or just say hi! The market is from noon until 10 pm. I will be there in shifts from noon until 2 and again from 5 until 10, but my stuff will be there the whole time. I am sharing a space with some members of the Craft Mutiny!. Joy from charming vices and Paula from Woolarina will be there with me.
Here is more information:
Where: We are located in the outdoor plaza of the Marie Reed Learning Center at 2200 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan, between California and Kalorama Streets. See website for more details.
Say SEAWEED and get a one dollar discount on your purchase (my stuff only!).
Here is a picture of the new necklace that I made:
It is for sale here on etsy.com.
This is my current inspiration. Anya likes to talk to him, too.
Report from my brother's wedding coming soon. Do you hate weddings? I mostly do. But I guess when your little brother is getting married, ya gotta be cool and enjoy.
Here is what I gave Mikey and Sarah for their wedding present:
By ashley G and you can get one by clicking on the image. I felt like it totally captured them. Happy, but a little mean. In love, but totally weird smiles. I gave this along with a hot dog cooker with the $1 DOLLAR DAYS price tag on it. I gave these in a halloween bag. I prefer to be me rather than classy. I hope they enjoyed.
This is my new t-shirt design. I am hoping to replace all of my designs this year, so say hello to new design number one! I am trying something new, though. This new design is now available for PRE-ORDER! This way, if you want one, you can order now and tell me what size and color you would like. I will be doing the first run of this one in mid June and your pre-order will ship on June 26th. You can pick an adult size or a youh size, Hanes unisex t-shirt in just about any color for $11 plus $2 postage. For girlie shaped shirts, the price is $15 and you have to pick from white, black or pink American Apparell.
The shirt says, "Under extreme stress Octopi will eat their own arms" How fun is that!!!
You can place your pre-order and pre-pay on the shop page or you can email me if you would like to wait to pay.
I have already gotten 2 pre-orders for this! So exciting!
The top search term for my website this month so far is boogie management. How the hell does that happen? Who googles that? What is the weirdest thing you have googled? Another month, this phrase came up in my list of searches, "under extreme stress, an octopus will eat off his own arms." I made that into a T-shirt last night.
In arty news, I will be selling my silliness at University of Maryland's Art Attack on Friday, May 5th. Art Attack is an all day art fair on the Mall of the College Park campus. I went to UMCP, so it will be exciting to go back and hang out. My lovely friend, Edie, is coming to help out and Leah from Nanobonbon will also be sharing our table. Leah is actually a fellow member of the new DC Craft Mafia. I will also be selling my stuff at Western Market on May 20th. More on that later. If you read the blog, you can get $1 off any purchase by saying SEAWEED when buying. This lets me know you read the blog and thus know all my secrets. It is also nice to meet fellow seamonsters.
In life news, we have mice who won't die. We put out all kinds of traps and get nothing. Archie only killed one accidently because it was in his food bowl. To this, we like to scream, "THERE IS A MOUSE IN MY MOUTH!" Days after this happened, we are still telling Rachel about it and she laughs big.
Nedra just commented on my blog and I followed her website link. You should to as she has some lovely handmade bags and hats that are really nice. http://www.divinetrash.com/store/bags.html I really like that lollipop purse.
Anyway... this is reminding me that along with a new template for this page, I am working on a new links page. Wanna trade links? If so, please comment below with your web address. I want to have a giant page of crafty links and life-y blogs. Also! I am going to add little ads on my shop, too. If you would like to send me a little advert for your website, please email me (tina@ilikeseamonsters.com). The size of the ads are 125 pixels wide by 125 pixels. Remember to send me the link the ad should go to. If you send me your link or ad, remember to add mine to your links page to ensure a proper trade!!!
OK. that might have been boring for some of you to read. But i am interested to know what you peeps out there are making!
I have said this before. But there are some days or minutes with twins when you are just like... oh my god when will this be over? I think this is the first weekend where I haven't felt that. Sure, we still can't do everything we want to do and the girls aren't totally managed at all times, but things went really smoothly this weekend. On Saturday, we took the girls for their first trip to Target. They slept through the whole thing.
Of course, I will never ever get used to the on-lookers. The women who ask me how I get them both to sleep at once. The questions from every grandmotherly type in the world. How old are they? Are they twins? A boy and a girl? Are they identical. Well, they don't look alike to me. Then there are the women who say, "oh, i always wanted twins." As if twins were something that someone would choose for themselves. I always wanna say, "that is nice, but really naive." I also get the question, "are they yours?" alot. I mean alot. I wonder why that is? Is it my hair? My non-mom attitude? I shouldn't complain about all the questions. People truly do get a lot of enjoyment out of asking them. And in the future, it will most likely help the girls to not be shy if they get to talk to stranger so much.
Then yesterday, things weren't too bad, either. The girls are going through a growth spurt, so they wanted to eat and eat and eat. But that was ok. Between feeding and bouncing and playing with various bunnies and bears dressed in bunny suits, Jeff and I each got to do things that we wanted to do. He got to read and play Xbox. I got to add items to my store. I even set it up so that you can write reviews of my silliness. During all those feedings, we were watching Arrested Development Season Two on DVD. Comedy always makes life easier.
Last night, I was watching the new Ricky Gervais show, Extras. I got so into it that even though I was holding a baby, I forgot for a while that I even had babies. This is good and bad and kinda mixed me up a bit. I had been thinking that I couldn't be wowed by art or televison or movies anymore. But this proved that wrong. That show is so funny and touching all at once. It took me away from my responsiblities for just 30 minutes. Thank you, Mr Gervais.
Saturday was the day I have been working toward for the past month or so (ok, the past year!)... Washington CityPaper's Crafty Bastards Arts and Craft Fair. And it didn't disppoint. I had so much fun meeting all the nice blog readers: SEAWEED! and other folks who came by my table. I loved loved loved seeing folks laugh big laughs at my new designs: Pandas Poop Too Much, etc. I also thought it was rad when I heard people say they bought this shirt or that shirt last year. Everyone who came by the table and bought things or talked to me was so nice. Thank you to all of you for making me feel a part of the world. And for wanting to buy my silliness.
Luck would have it that Heidi and Katie (www.mypapercrane.com) were right behind us and that was super rad. They even took down their sign so that we could talk when things were too crazy with all the selling (rare!). I took up some of their space, though, as it seemed that my whole family was there with me. My sister, Lisa, and her two daughters came along this year, which was so great. Lisa spent the past month busy making purses to sell, which is rad. As you can see in the picture, her daughter, Brittney had an awesome time too. We took this picture from our booth, thinking that Britt was playing on the playground. But there she was, part of an anti-Bush giant puppet parade. So so funny.
My brother, Mikey and his fiance, Sarah with their dog, Nilla came too. Mikey has some retail experience, so he was totally the master of shirt folding. Like, Lisa, he did way more than that, though, helping with the booth all day long. Jeff and his mom (Thanks to Jeff's mom for coming for the weekend to help take care of the girls!) brought my tiny girls over (since we live 3 blocks away) for a while, but it was hot and the tiny girls don't need to be in the sun. My parents were on their way, too, when they got in a car accident! It was a hit and run, but they are ok, thank goodness.
About half way through the day, my booth was swamped with people and I looked around to see that both of my siblings were there helping and I totally felt so loved. It is weird... I so look forward to Crafty Bastards because I get to share all my weird creations with people I don't know for a day. But what really really mattered to me yesterday was that both of my siblings were there with me. And that they took part in something that was so important to me. I love it when that happens. When you are wowed something other than what you are expected to be wowed by.
Stay tuned tomorrow... I will post pictures of some of the great things that I bought. And special thanks to the CityPaper crew. You guys totally make October the best month. And thanks to Sara from the CityPaper for being so lovely and teaching Brittney about why you shouldn't let ballons go.
here are a few more pictures of the day... some stolen from Heidi's blog. first is my new hair (it is super long, but you can't tell in this picture. next is my brother, mikey with his dog, Nilla. And last is Heidi's booth with Katie and a shopper who must have bought something from me since she had one of my Halloween bags.
  
Guess what? I don't have to say: Good-bye city life. whoohoo!
I should really be doing a million billion other thingy things right now. But I had to share my good news.
AFter finding out that for reasons I will not disclose, I have to return to work full time at this time (their reasons, not mine), I started to freak out about the daycare situation. After talking to my sister, I think I was close to convincing her to quit her job and be their nanny. It was going to be a huge relief for me, a good thing for her money-wise, but a bad thing for her time and travel wise.
While talking to our neighbor, Patrice, about this whole situation, the phone rang. It was the Baptist Church. They have two spaces for us. After nearly a year on the list and after being told they only had one space. So our girls can go to a daycare that is on our way to work and so close to Jeff's work that he can go see them at lunch. And if it doesn't work out, I can talk to my sister again.
Of course, I have lots of issues with the whole daycare thing in general. But frankly, I need an emotional break from taking care of babies. I need to walk two miles a day for a while. I think I need these things to fully enjoy my girls. I don't think I want them in daycare forever. I think I want to be a full-time mom at some point when it makes more sense. The daycare is totally going to make us poor, but we get to stay in our home with it's amazing view of the park. We get to have adventures taking babies on the bus. We get to stay city-folks for the time being. I think it is worth it for now. I don't know how I will feel leaving them the first day, but at least it is a controled environment (which a nanny would not have been).
Other news. Crafty bastards is tomorrow! Please say hi to me if you stop by. My table is next to Heidi's on 18th street! If you read the blog use the code word when you see me. The code word is SEAWEED! Is that one word or two? Oh well, code words are silly. So only use it if you want to be silly.
This is where and when:
Saturday, October 1, 2005 • 10am–5pm
at Western Market in Adams Morgan
Western Market is located on 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan between California and Kalorama in the plaza of the Marie Reed Learning Center - 2200 Champlain St. NW, Washington DC, 20009.
Here is me looking dead tired, yet crafty, working on art pieces for the Crafty Bastards Arts Fair, while Anya sleeps in the sling. I told you I mastered the art of baby wearing! I have made abotu 15 of those cool mirrors with lines from my blog on them. I am sure most will make no sense taken out of context, but I love that. ( The sling is from www.lucky-baby.com)
Being a mom is making me look older, sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see my grandmother. Mostly the shape of my body, all hips and butt. I don't mind it.
Ok, this is our current twin management. Whenever Jeff and i are both home, we each get a baby to take care of. That way, you always get some free time. And whenever someone cries you can say... "That's your baby!!" But! I worry that we are breaking the twin bond as the girls are rarely together. I am putting a stop to that by making sure the girls have some together time at least once a day. See:
The world still exists and we live in it.
Let's try again. This week, I learned that the world still exists beyond the window that I look out over the changing table. And that we girls indeed do live in it.
On Thursday, Jeff, the girls and I went to the Crafty Bastards party at the CityPaper offices. So at 6 weeks old, my wee ones have been to their first party. We got to meet Sara and the whole Crafty Bastards crew there who were so nice. Then we saw Heidi and Tom, who we adore. Oh my, the arts and craft fair is only 21 days away! Dude, I have a lot ot make before then. Here is a picture of me and the girls that I stole from Heidi's website:
Then on Friday morning, I trekked down the hill more than a mile to my work to show off the girls. I almost cried the last block there because I hadn't walked there is so long and hadn't seen those places in so long. I have worked in the same building for over 10 years and I never thought turning the corner and seeing it would make me cry, but it did. Weird. Everyone at work was so nice and excited to see me and the babies. It was pretty touching. And reminded me of the world/life? I have been missing/missed.
On my way out, the Indian street vendor and his wife in front of the building stopped me excitedly. I have literally walked past these people for ten years, and never talked to them other then to buy an umbrella. The woman was talking really fast, while the man translated. They were worried about me because all of a sudden I had stopped walking past them. They remembered watching me get bigger and bigger during my pregnancy and then I just wasn't there anymore. They were so excited to see me and the babies and were so surprised to see two! They had just become grandparents for the first time in June and were so excited to tell me about it. It was this amazing experience, like something from a Krzysztof Kieslowski movie. This perfect intersection of people and places and things. It reminded me that even though you don't know it, there are people in your life who love you and think about you. Just as you love and think about the person you see on the bus everyday or the man in the elevator with the funny hair. That we all have a story and connections and secret caring for strangers.
Pushing my giant double stroller, I made my way home, stopping at Chocolate Chocolate first for 5 Star bars. The store is so tiny that only the girls and I fit in it. I walked past the Gap, thinking about how excited I was when I could finally wear clothes from there and how excited I will be when I can again. My former life as this carefree girl all came flooding back to me. And I remembered how the dirty streets of Washington were always so inspiring. On bedrest at home and now caring for babies, I missed how dirty the streets really are. I missed all the smells and trash. I missed the allies and the panhandlers. I missed the world. But it still exists and I still live in it. And now there are two more. Two more people who live in it. I hope that some day my girls can be inspired by random trash and side streets. I have a lot of work to do before we get there, but we will.
mypapercrane.com's Heidi posted a picture of this amazing necklace last week and I just had to have one. So I emailed Jenna at www.soopajdelux.com to try and buy one. And the lovely email that I got in response offered to trade one for some stuff from my site, even though I totally wanted to pay for it!!!! So a trade was on. And I got this amazing package from her today. Not only did I get the big blue necklace for me, but she sent along two tiny ones for my tiny girls. See the picture, below. Beyond lovely, people are.
So once again, I am totally floored by how wonderful people can be. People who know you and people who don't know you. I can't wait for the day when the tiny girls can wear these lovely little pieces of art.
So check out www.soopajdelux.com to see more.
Before this package came today, I was drifting a little, worrying about my irrregular contractions and wondering if I was feeling the passengers move enough today. But then these little pieces of art and kindness from a stranger made me bounce back. Whoohoo! I added a new item to the jewelry page: Squished Penny Necklaces and may even get around to emailing everyone from last week back tonight. I say may because I am trying to limit my sitting up to a minimum because my poor feet are swelling and I must be free of the swell for my doctor's appointment tomorrow.
I just found the most rad baby clothes designer. Take a look:
http://www.focoloco.com/default.asp
I ordered this: I'm with the band Infant One-piece
The other cool thing this week has been that Crafty Bastards is happening again in DC! Whoohoo! It is the best arts and crafts sale that I have ever done and this year it will be less than two blocks from my house! And my tiny girls will be here and will most likely be able to go out into the world by then. Once again, it will be held on October 1. Check out the site if you want to apply to sell stuff. It is really a lot of fun: Crafty Bastards!
Now I just have to think of a new item to unveil that day!
Real blog blog later today. :)
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